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ILLUSTRATED  LIFE 


OF 


THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 


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Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


THE  PRESENTATION  OF  MARY  IN  THE  TEMPLE 


ILLUSTRATED  LIFE 


OF 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN 


BY 


Rev.  B.  ROHNER,  O.S.B. 


ADAPTED  BY 

Rev.  RICHARD  BRENNAN,  LL.D, 


SECOND  EDITION. 


New  York,  Cincinnati,  Chicago: 

BENZIGER  BROTHERS, 

PRINTERS  TO  THE  |  PUBLISHERS  OF 

HOLY  APOSTOLIC  SEE  |  BENZIGER’S  MAGAZINE 


mibti  omat.  I 

Thos.  L.  Kinkead, 

Censor  Librorum. 


•ffmprimatur. 

Michael  Augustine, 

Archbishop  of  New  York . 


New  York,  September  20,  1897. 


< 


Copyright.  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Mary,  Mother  of  God . . .  n 

The  Mother  of  God  and  Christianity .  15 

Act  of  Veneration .  16 

II.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Predestined  and  Selected 

from  all  Eternity  as  the  Mother  of  God  19 

The  Divine  Plan  of  the  Incarnation .  19 

The  Plan  of  the  Atonement .  21 

III.  The  Blessed  Virgin  is  Foretold  by  the  Proph¬ 
ets  of  the  Old  Testament .  27 

The  First  Promise .  27 

Mary’s  Kingly  Ancestors .  28 

Solomon’s  Canticle .  29 

The  Great  Prophet  of  the  Incarnation .  29 

The  New  Creation  or  Regeneration .  30 

The  Prophet  Micheas .  31 

IV.  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne,  the  Parents  of  the 

Blessed  Virgin . 32 

A  God-Fearing  Couple .  32 

The  Way  of  Sorrows .  33 

Easter  Joys.. . 36 

V.  Mary  Conceived  without  Sin .  38 

The  Child  of  Grace .  38 

Mary’s  Body .  39 

Mary’s  Soul .  40 

The  Immaculate  Conception .  42 

VI.  Joy  Occasioned  by  the  Immaculate  Conception.  45 

Joy  in  Heaven .  47 

Joy  on  Earth . 49 


3 


4 


Contents , 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

VII.  Mary’s  Birth .  50 

The  Dawn .  50 

Sunrise .  51 

Greetings .  53 

VIII.  The  Christian  Mother  at  Mary’s  Cradle .  55 

Mother .  55 

Mother  and  Child .  37 

True  Maternal  Love .  58 

PART  II. 

MARY  IS  MADE  WORTHY  TO  BECOME  THE  MOTHER 

OF  GOD. 

IX.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Receives  the  Name  of  Mary.  60 

Mary .  60 

Meaning  of  the  Name .  61 

Holiness  of  the  Name  of  Mary .  64 

The  Christening  Name  of  the  Christian .  65 

X.  The  Home  Education  of  the  Blessed  Virgin...  67 

New  Life .  .  67 

Mary  Grows  in  Y ears  and  in  Grace .  68 

Youth .  69 

Parental  Training .  71 

XI.  Mary’s  Presentation .  76 

Dedicated  to  God .  76 

The  Journey  to  the  Temple .  78 

Two-Fold  Dedication  of  the  Christian .  80 

The  Christian  Spouse .  83 

XII.  The  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  Temple  Advances  in 

Wisdom  and  Grace .  85 

The  Separation .  85 

A  New  World . 86 

Daily  Work .  87 

Christian  Training  of  Youth .  90 

XIII.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Makes  a  Vow  of  Virginity.  92 

Vows  among  the  Jews . 93 

The  Vow  and  the  Promised  Redeemer .  94 

The  Vow  in  Christianity .  95 


Contents , 


5 


PART  III. 

ESPOUSED  TO  ST.  JOSEPH. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIV.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Leaves  the  Temple. — She 

is  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . ioo 

Mary  Becomes  an  Orphan .  ioo 

She  Departs  from  the  Temple .  ioi 

Choice  of  a  Spouse .  104 

The  Espousals .  106 

XV.  St.  Joseph  is  Prepared  by  the  Grace  of  God  and 
his  Own  Co-Operation  for  his  High  and 

Holy  Office .  108 

St.  Joseph  is  a  Vessel  of  Grace .  108 

St.  Joseph’s  Struggles  and  Victories .  no 

XVI.  Why  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  Espoused  to  St. 

Joseph .  113 

The  Plan  of  the  Atonement  Required  it .  114 

Models  of  Holy  Wedlock .  116 

The  Choice  of  a  Christian  Companion .  1 17 

XVII.  Mary  and  Joseph  in  Nazareth .  121 

The  First  Domestic  Regulations .  121 

The  First  Avowal . 122 

Virginal  Wedlock .  123 

Sanctity  of  Christian  Marriage .  124 

XVIII.  The  Blessed  Virgin  is  Inwardly  Prepared 

FOR  THE  MESSIAS . . .  1 26 

Understanding  the  Scriptures .  127 

Longing  for  the  Redeemer . 128 

Revelations  to  St.  Joseph. — His  Inner  Life  of 

Grace .  131 

Advent . 132 

XIX.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Saluted  by  God  through 

the  Angel  Gabriel .  133 

Heaven’s  Messenger .  134 

The  Greeting  from  the  Most  High .  136 

Full  of  Grace .  137 

Blessed  among  Women. — Dominus  Tecum  Bene- 

dicta  Tu  in  Mulieribus .  140 

Blessed  Art  Thou  Among  Women .  141 


6 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  The  Angel’s  Message .  143 

The  Happy  Message .  143 

The  Fulness  of  Time .  144 

The  Overshadowing  of  the  Holy  Ghost .  146 

Testimony  to  the  Truth .  149 

XXI.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Receives  the  Greeting  and 

the  Message  of  the  Angel .  150 

The  Alarm .  150 

Reflection .  151 

The  Consent .  154 

Mary’s  Humility .  155 

Obedience .  157 

Fortitude  in  Suffering .  157 

Fiat. — Be  it  Done .  159 


PART  IV. 

HOW  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  LIVED  AND  SUFFERED 

AS  MOTHER  OF  GOD. 


XXII.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Visits  her  Cousin  St.  Eliz¬ 
abeth  .  161 

More  Spiritual  Favors . 161 

The  Journey  to  the  Mountains .  162 

Mary,  Elizabeth,  and  John .  164 

The  Saviour  and  His  Forerunner .  166 

Sacred  Friendship .  168 

XXIII.  The  Magnificat .  169 

The  Hymn  of  Praise. ... „ .  169 

Explanation .  171 

Mary  is  Equally  Sublime  in  her  Speech  and  in  her 

Silence .  176 

XXIV.  Mary’s  Motherhood  Revealed  to  St.  Joseph...  178 

The  Hard  Trial .  178 

Mary’s  Reliance  on  God. — Her  Humility .  179 

St.  Joseph’s  Resolve .  180 

Light  from  Heaven .  182 


Contents, 


7 


CHAPTER  FAGB 

XXV.  Mary  and  Joseph  go  to  Bethlehem. — No  Room 

FOR  THEM  AT  THE  Inn .  184 

Salvation  Draws  Near .  184 

Reasons  for  the  Journey . 185 

Hardships  of  the  Journey .  188 

Bethlehem  Receives  not  its  Own .  189 

The  Examples  of  Mary  and  Joseph .  190 

The  Warning  Example  of  Bethlehem .  191 

XXVI.  The  Holy  Night .  194 

The  Place  and  the  Time .  194 

The  Infant  Jesus . 197 

Adoration .  199 

St.  Joseph  Adores... . 201 

Our  Act  of  Homage . 202 

XXVII.  The  Shepherds  are  Called  to  the  Manger  of 

Bethlehem .  204 

The  Angels  bring  Glad  Tidings .  204 

Gloria  in  Excelsis . . .  207 

The  Shepherds  at  the  Manger .  209 

Mary  Ponders  the  Words  in  her  own  Heart .  210 

The  Angels  at  the  Birth .  211 

XXVIII.  Mary  and  Joseph  have  the  Child  Circumcised 

and  Named  Jesus  . . 212 

Mary’s  Maternal  Solicitude .  212 

Obedience  to  the  Lord .  213 

The  Holy  Name  of  Jesus .  215 

New  Years  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  and  Mary .  216 

XXIX.  The  Three  Wise  Men  are  Summoned  Miracu¬ 
lously  to  the  Manger . 217 

The  Star . . .  217 

The  Wise  Men  before  Herod . 219 

Adoration  and  Offerings .  221 

The  Return  to  the  East .  223 

XXX.  The  Purification. — Candlemas .  225 

The  First-Born .  225 

The  Offering  and  the  Priestess .  226 

The  First  Thrust  in  the  Mother’s  Heart .  228 

The  Prophetess  Anna .  231 


8 


Contents . 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXI.  Mary  and  Joseph  Fly  with  their  Child  into 

Egypt .  232 

Weeping  and  Wailing  in  Bethlehem .  232 

The  Second  Plunge  of  the  Sword  in  Mary’s  Heart.  234 

In  Exile .  236 

The  Return  to  Fatherland .  238 

XXXII.  Jesus  When  Twelve  Years  Old  is  Sought  by 

His  Parents  and  Found  in  the  Temple...  241 

The  Sacredness  of  a  Retired  Life .  241 

The  Pilgrimage .  243 

The  Lost  Treasure .  245 

The  Third  Thrust  of  the  Sword  in  the  Mother’s 

Heart .  246 

The  Finding .  248 

In  the  Christian  Temple .  251 

XXXIII.  Jesus  Subject  to  His  Parents .  252 

Holy  Obedience .  252 

Growth  of  Jesus .  253 

Mary’s  Hidden  Life .  255 

The  Earthly  Trinity .  256 

Mirror  of  the  Christian  Family .  257 

XXXIV.  St.  Joseph’s  Happy  Death. — His  Glorious  En¬ 
try  into  Heaven .  261 

A  Happy  Death . 261 

St.  Joseph’s  Welcome  Among  the  Souls  of  the 

Just  in  Limbo .  265 

St.  Joseph  in  Heaven  . 268 

C 

XXXV.  The  Blessed  Virgin  at  the  Wedding  in  Cana..  269 

The  Baptism  of  Jesus .  269 

The  Wedding  Feast .  270 

The  Embarrassment .  272 

The  First  Miracle  of  Jesus .  274 

Confidence  in  Mary’s  Intercession .  276 

XXXVI.  The  Blessed  Virgin  During  the  Public  Life 

of  Christ .  277 

Mary’s  Joys .  278 

Mary’s  Humility .  279 

Mary’s  Sorrows .  282 

Shadow  of  the  Cross....  .  285 


Contents , 


9 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXVII.  Mary  Treads  the  Way  of  the  Cross .  287 

“  Hosanna!  ”  and  “  Crucify  Him  !  ” .  289 

The  Meeting  on  the  Way  to  Calvary .  293 

XXXVIII.  Mary  under  the  Cross .  296 

The  Stroke  of  the  Hammer. — The  Raising  of  the 

Cross .  296 

The  Three  Hours’  Agony  of  Mary .  299 

Three  Dark  Hours .  300 

Intercession  and  Pardon .  301 

XXXIX.  Behold  thy  Son!  Behold  thy  Mother !. .  304 

The  Son’s  Solicitude. — The  Mother’s  Grief . 304 

The  Joy  of  the  Church . .  307 

XL.  Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus .  310 

Abandoned  by  God .  310 

“I  Thirst.” . 312 

“  It  is  Consummated.” .  313 

The  Thrust  of  the  Lance. . .  314 

The  Descent  from  the  Cross .  315 

Mary  at  the  Entombment  of  Jesus .  318 

Mary’s  Merits  during  the  Passion  Week .  320 

PART  V. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  MARY  DEPARTS  FROM  EARTH. 

XLI.  Mary’s  Happiness  at  the  Resurrection  of  Jesus.  323 

She  Yearns  after  her  Beloved  Son .  323 

Mother  and  Son . 325 

Easter  Joys  and  Spiritual  Resurrection .  326 

XLII.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  Ascends  to  Heaven  in 

Spirit  with  her  Beloved  Son . . : . 328 

Mount  Olivet .  329 

Sursum  Corda  ! .  330 

Comforting  Promise .  332 

XLIII.  The  Blessed  Virgin  as  Queen  of  the  Apostles 

on  Whtt-Sunday .  333 

Mary,  Queen  of  the  Apostles .  333 

Mary,  the  Bride  of  the  Holy  Ghost .  334 

Mary,  the  Heart  of  the  Church .  336 

Mary,  an  Obedient  Child  of  the  Church .  337 


io  Contents. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XLIV.  The  Closing  Years  in  the  Life  of  the  Blessed 

Virgin .  338 

Mary  and  John .  338 

Mary  in  Ephesus .  340 

Yearning  for  Home .  341 

Living  with  Christ .  342 

XLV.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Falls  Asleep  in  the  Lord.  344 

The  Pilgrimage  Ended .  345 

Rest  in  God .  347 

The  Blessed  Virgin’s  Grave .  348 

XLVI.  The  Blessed  Virgin  is  Assumed  into  Heaven...  350 

The  Empty  Tomb .  350 

Proofs  of  the  Assumption .  352 

Christ’s  Ascension  and  Mary’s  Assumption .  356 

XLVII.  The  Crowning  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in 

Heaven .  357 

The  Triumphant  Entrance .  358 

Mary  is  Crowned .  359 

Mary’s  Happiness .  360 

The  Occupation  of  Mary  in  Heaven .  361 


LIFE  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  MARY. 


PART  I. 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

CHAPTER  I. 

MARY,  MOTHER  OF  GOD. 

MARY'S  true  greatness  consists  in  having  been  chosen 
to  be  the  Mother  of  God.  This  sublime  privilege, 
pre-eminently  her  own  and  shared  by  no  other  creature, 
elevates  her  to  an  eminence  more  exalted  than  has  ever 
been  granted  to  any  other  created  being.  It  raises  her  up 
near  to  the  Godhead,  and  constitutes  her  the  channel  of 
many  blessings  in  the  Old  Law  and  in  the  New.  Yet,  not 
of  course  with  regard  to  her  own  person,  but  in  relation 
to  her  divine  Son.  Mary  is  the  wonder  of  wonders,  a 
new  creation,  a  peculiar  spirit  world.  What  man  is  in  the 
order  of  nature,  what  Jesus  Christ  is  in  the  order  of  glory, 
such  is  Mary  in  the  order  of  grace.  She  is  the  crown, 
the  high  and  middle  point  of  the  order  of  salvation. 

Mother  of  God  !  St.  Peter  Damian,  in  his  eloquent 
sermon  on  the  birth  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  thus  gives 
expression  to  his  exalted  conception  of  the  dignity  of 
Mary's  motherhood : 

“  In  what  words  may  mortal  man  be  permitted  to  pro¬ 
nounce  the  praises  of  her  who  herself  brought  forth  that 
Divine  Word  who  lives  for  all  eternity  ?  Where  can 
tongue  be  found  holy  and  pure  enough  to  eulogize  her  who 

n 


12  The  Commg  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

bore  the  Author  of  all  created  things,  whom  the  elements 
praise  and  obey  with  fear  and  trembling  ?  If  we  wish 
to  extol  a  martyr’s  heroism,  to  recount  his  acts  of  virtue, 
to  describe  his  devotion  to  his  Saviour’s  cause  and 
honor,  facts  which  belong  to  the  province  of  human  ex¬ 
perience  supply  us  with  words  and  circumstances.  But 
when  we  undertake  to  write  the  glories  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  we  enter  upon  new,  unknown  ground — on  a  subject 
transcending  all  human  effort.  We  fail  to  find  words 
suitable  to  portray  her  sublime  mysteries  and  preroga¬ 
tives. 

“  What  power  of  intellect  is  able  to  explain  the  mystery 
of  the  Creator’s  coming  forth  from  His  own  creature  ? 

“  In  the  virginal  womb  of  the  humble  maiden  is  conceived 
the  Eternal,  He  whom  the  whole  universe  cannot  con¬ 
tain.  In  the  arms  of  an  earthly  mother,  the  Infinite  lies 
a  helpless  babe.  Yet  He  it  is  who,  equal  to  the  Father, 
supplies  existence  to  all  creation,  who  by  His  omnipotence 
and  authority  stills  the  storms  at  sea,  supplies  to  the 
mighty  rivers  their  inexhaustible  sources  of  water,  and  yet 

is  content  to  be  nourished  with  the  scantv  sustenance 

* 

that  His  lowly  Mother  can  supply.  No  human  discourse 
can  be  found  worthy  and  competent  to  describe  the 
glories  of  her  from  whom  the  Redeemer  between  God 
and  man  was  pleased  to  assume  His  sacred  body  and 
blood.” 

All  the  great  and  glorious  deeds  performed  in  God’s 
honor  and  to  man’s  benefit  cannot  be  compared  with 
what  Mary  has  done  for  us. 

The  prophets  have  foretold  the  coming  of  Christ, 
angels  proclaimed  in  tuneful  numbers  His  birth  in  Beth¬ 
lehem,  the  holy  Precursor  pointed  Him  out  to  the  world 
and  prepared  the  way  before  Him,  the  apostles  have 
preached  Him  to  the  nations,  the  sons  of  the  Church  in 
all  ages  have  preached  His  sacred  word,  administered 


Mary ,  Mother  of  God, 


r3 


His  sacraments  and  dispensed  His  mysteries.  But  Mary 
has  given  us  the  Redeemer  Himself,  formed  out  of  her 
own  flesh  and  blood.  With  unfailing  love  and  care,  and 
amid  privation  and  toil,  she  nurtured  Him  and  brought 
Him  up  that  He  might  become  a  Victim  for  our  sins. 
Standing  under  His  cross  at  Calvary,  she  did  not  spare 
her  only  begotten  Son.  She  consented  to  His  painful 
and  shameful  death.  As  she  stood  silently  by  the  side 
of  her  Son,  who  was  a  just  and  maltreated  God,  her  heart 
pierced  with  the  sword  of  grief,  she  offered  Him  up,  as 
well  as  herself,  for  our  ransom. 

Intimately  combined  with  this  divine  motherhood  are 
all  those  prerogatives  which  the  nature  of  so  sublime  a 
dignity  demands  and  contains  within  itself.  The  most 
exalted,  Godlike  sanctity  is  the  foundation  and  indis¬ 
pensable  embellishment  of  one  called  to  be  the  Mother 
of  God. 

If  St.  John  the  Baptist  was  enriched  with  such  abundant 
grace  and  sanctified  even  before  his  birth  in  order  to  be 
a  fit  precursor  of  the  Messias ;  if  St.  Paul  was  made  a 
vessel  of  election  in  order  to  become  a  worthy  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles,  what  ineffable  graces  must  have  been 
bestowed  by  God  on  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  order  to  render 
her  a  becoming  Mother  of  the  divine  Son  !  Necessarily  she 
was  full  of  grace,  a  noble  production  of  divine  omnipo¬ 
tence  and  goodness.  Thus  beautifully  does  St.  Anselm 
in  his  writings  on  the  Immaculate  Conception  speak  of 
the  motherhood  of  Mary :  “  It  was  eminently  just  and 
proper  that  the  creature  chosen  to  be  the  Mother  of  God 
should  beam  with  a  lustre  of  purity  far  beyond  anything 
that  we  can  conceive  as  existing  in  any  other  creature 
under  heaven.  For  it  was  to  her  that  the  heavenly  Father 
had  decreed  to  give  His  only  begotten  Son  whom  He 
loved  as  Himself,  and  to  give  Him  in  such  a  mysterious 
manner  that  He  should  be  at  the  same  time  the  Son  of 


14 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 


God  and  the  Son  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  She  indeed  should 
be  purity  itself,  whom  the  divine  Son  of  God  would  select 
as  His  Mother.  Pure,  too,  should  she  be  whom  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  chosen  to  be  the  means  of  bringing  forth  that 
Second  Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity  from  whom  He 
Himself  proceedeth.” 

If  Solomon  employed  such  high  and  costly  art,  lavished 
such  untold  wealth,  and  devoted  so  much  time  and  atten¬ 
tion  in  building  a  becoming  dwelling-place  for  the  Ark  of 
the  Covenant  which  was  to  contain  the  simple  Tables  of  the 
Law,  what  may  we  not  believe  would  God  do  to  enrich  and 
embellish  for  his  only  beloved  Son,  not  simply  a  dwelling- 
place  but  a  very  mother — a  mother  from  whose  sacred  per¬ 
son  were  to  be  taken  the  elements  of  that  body  which  He 
was  to  assume  for  our  sake,  the  earliest  nourishment  which 
was  to  be  converted  into  that  blood  soon  to  be  shed  upon 
the  cross  for  our  salvation. 

Between  the  divine  Son  and  the  Mother  of  God  exist 
the  most  intimate  and  sacred  relations.  There  is  no  more 
important  duty,  nor  one  more  in  accordance  with  the  laws 
of  nature,  than  the  duty  which  children  owe  to  parents, 
who,  next  to  God,  are  the  authors  of  their  existence.  Now 
this  common  bond  uniting  so  tenderly  and  yet  so  firmly  the 
child  to  the  authors  of  its  existence,  existed  the  more 
powerfully  between  Jesus  as  true  man,  and  Mary,  His 
Mother,  because  it  was  not  shared  by  a  father,  but  re¬ 
flected  entirely  upon  the  virgin  mother  who  alone  con¬ 
ceived  and  bore  Him.  Therefore  He  who  had  given  the 
divine  command,  “  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,”  be¬ 
cause  He  wished  to  be  counted  as  a  man,  fulfilled  in  a 
high  degree  His  own  law,  and  practised  filial  piety  and  grati¬ 
tude  in  ample  measure  towards  her  whom  He  had  chosen 
to  be  His  mother,  and  whom  He  delighted  to  honor  and 
love.  Thus  the  extent  of  the  treasures  lavished  upon 
Mary  may  be  gathered  from  the  generosity  and  gratitude 


Mary,  Mother  of  God. 


*5 


of  an  infinite,  glorious,  and  just  God,  who  desired  to  pay  so 
glorious  a  debt  to  her  who  most  lovingly  afforded  to  Him 
His  earthly  existence.  If  for  a  drink  of  cold  water  given 
in  His  name  to  a  poor  person  He  promises  a  torrent  of 
glory  in  heaven,  what  an  ocean  of  grace  He  must  have 
poured  out  upon  her  who  supplied  blood  to  His  veins  ! 

Whilst  contemplating  this  greatest  of  Thy  wonder¬ 
works,  O  Lord,  permit  me  at  the  same  time  to  pour  out 
before  Thee  a  prayer  of  deep  thanksgiving  for  having 
thus  vouchsafed  to  adorn  and  place  before  the  admiring 
gaze  of  heaven  and  earth  a  mother  endowed  with  such 
exalted  dignity  and  filled  with  such  heavenly  grace.  Thou 
hast  condescended  to  unite  to  Thyself  this  highly  favored 
maiden.  Thou  hast  exalted  her  in  order  that  she  might 
co-operate  with  Thee  in  Thy  greatest  of  works,  namely,  the 
redemption  and  sanctification  of  the  human  family. 

Whilst  pondering  this  profound  mystery  of  Thy  omni¬ 
potence,  O  Most  Blessed  Trinity,  and  discovering  the  close 
union  between  Thee  and  the  maiden  of  Nazareth,  my  soul 
is  forced  to  render  to  her  a  homage  only  a  degree  below  that 
which  is  due  to  Divinity  itself.  I  learn  to  consider  her 
the  holiest  and  most  exalted  person,  as  the  one  most  de¬ 
serving  through  all  time  of  Thy  infinite  love  and  the  worth¬ 
iest  of  Thy  sublime  greatness.  I  learn  to  look  upon  her 
as  one  who  surpasseth  both  men  and  angels  in  dignity, 
worth,  and  sanctity.  From  my  heart  of  hearts,  I  rejoice  at 
this  eminent  distinction  that  Thou  hast  been  pleased  to 

confer  upon  Thy  immaculate  Mother. 

» 

THE  MOTHER  OF  GOD  AND  CHRISTIANITY. 

A  belief  in  the  divine  motherhood  of  Mary  constitutes 
for  us  men  the  foundation  and  the  life  and  soul  of  all  the 
other  mysteries  of  Christianity.  Such  belief  is  the  very 
way  that  leads  to  Christ  Himself. 


1 6  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

Take  from  us  the  mystery  of  Mary’s  divine  mother¬ 
hood,  and  where  shall  we  find  the  Incarnation  of  Christ, 
where  the  great  work  of  the  Atonement,  where  the  justi¬ 
fication  and  sanctification  of  mankind? 

All  these  mysteries  are  hypothecated  on  the  birth  of  the 
Son  of  God  from  the  womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  Hence 
we  can  say :  The  chaste  bosom  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  is 
the  source  of  Christianity,  because  it  is  the  origin  of  the 
Son  of  God  becoming  man.  Hence  the  Church  of  God 
has  ever  displayed  an  undying  zeal  and  devotion  in 
defence  of  this  great  prerogative  of  Mary,  her  divine 
maternity,  and  in  defence  of  her  glorious  title  of  Mother 
of  God. 

For  a  poor  young  maiden,  a  carpenter’s  bride,  to  be 
considered  the  Mother  of  God  was  always  a  stumbling- 
block  for  false,  proud  piety,  and  a  test  for  genuine  faith. 

Foretold  as  she  was  by  the  prophets  of  old,  realized 
and  verified  later  on,  throughout  the  ages  of  Christianity, 
she  stands  forth  as  the  veritable  sign,  given  by  God  Him¬ 
self,  of  truth  and  election  ;  a  virgin  who  conceived  and 
brought  forth  a  Son  whose  name  “  shall  be  called  Em¬ 
manuel”  (Is.  vii.  14).  In  the  early  ages  of  Christianity, 
the  apostate  Emperor  of  Rome,  Julian,  made  to  the  Chris¬ 
tians  of  those  days  the  significant  reproach:  “You  Chris¬ 
tians  never  cease  to  call  Mary  the  Mother  of  God  ” — 
“  Vos  Mariam  Deiparam  vocare  non  cessatis  ”  (Cyril,  lib. 
viii.  adv.  Julian.) 


ACT  OF  VENERATION. 

Christian  reader,  from  the  bottom  of  your  heart  con¬ 
cur  in  this  holy  truth  of  the  divine  motherhood  of  Mary ! 
On  this  truth  rests  our  faith  in  Christ,  in  His  Incarnation, 
and  in  our  own  redemption.  On  this  truth  is  founded  all 
the  trust  and  all  the  homage  which  we  delight  to  entertain 


Mary,  Mother  of  God, 


17 

and  show  to  our  dearest  Queen.  Let  this  faith  in  the 
divine  motherhood  of  Mary  be  the  guiding  star  that  will 
guide  us  both,  you  and  me,  in  the  composition  and  the  study 
of  this  work  written  in  her  honor.  Animated  with  this 
belief,  filled  with  admiration  and  glowing  with  childlike 
gratitude,  let  us  honor  the  holy  Mother  of  God  while  we 
pour  out  before  her,  as  the  expression  of  our  heartfelt  sen¬ 
timents,  the  glorious  eulogy  of  St.  Epiphanius  (In  Orat .  de 
B.  V.)  :  “  Poor  and  feeble  am  I  to  undertake  the  task  of 

showing  forth  the  overpowering  rays  of  thy  dazzling  bright¬ 
ness,  O  holy  Mother  of  God,  or  to  describe  thy  ineffable 
qualities,  the  mystery  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  miraculous 
nature  of  the  union  between  God  and  man,  of  the  redemp¬ 
tion  of  man  by  God.  Thou  causest  the  powers  of  heaven 
to  wonder.  The  very  angels,  cherubim  and  seraphim,  are 
stricken  with  mute  astonishment.  The  whole  court  of 
the  heavenly  host  were  overpowered  with  awe  and  seized 
with  holy  fear  and  trembling  when  they  saw  Him,  whose 
dwelling-place  is  heaven,  pass  through  thee  to  earth. 
With  wonder  they  looked  down  from  heaven  upon  thee, 
and  in  thy  sacred  person  recognized  a  divine  throne  upon 
which  sat  their  Creator,  the  same  who  is  without  beginning 
or  end.  They  saw  Him  descend  from  His  celestial  throne 
above  the  clouds  and  seek  shelter  and  repose  within 
thy  sacred  bosom. 

“  Ever-blessed  Virgin  !  Pure  dove  !  Bride  of  heaven  ! 
Temple  and  throne  of  the  Godhead  !  Thou  holdest  Christ 
as  the  bright  Sun  on  heaven  and  earth.  Fair  summer 
cloud,  that  sendest  Christ  to  the  earth,  as  the  flash  of 
lightning  to  illumine  its  darkness  !  Cloud  in  the  heavens, 
thou  who  sendest  to  the  earth  the  hidden  thunderbolts  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  who  pourest  out  over  its  arid  sur¬ 
face  the  refreshing  showers  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  its  soil 
may  bring  forth  fruits  of  saving  faith  !  Holy  Mother  of 
God,  ever  virgin,  who  hast  brought  forth  Him  who  once 
2 


1 8  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 

in  Paradise  created  Adam  out  of  the  slime  of  the  earth ! 
Thou  art  Mother  of  God,  for  thou  hast  brought  forth  the 
Word  made  flesh.  Thou  art  the  Mother  of  God,  for  thou 
hast  conceived  the  Divine  Word  reduced  to  the  form 
and  condition  of  a  servant.  Thou  art  the  Mother  of  God, 
for  thou  hast  conceived  God  the  Word  and  brought  Him 
forth,  the  Word  made  flesh.  Thou  art  the  Mother  of 
God,  for  thou  alone  hast  borne  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God.  Thou  hast  not  borne  a  finite  god,  or  one  formed 
only  from  thy  flesh,  but  the  eternal  God  Himself,  who 
before  thee,  O  Virgin  !  and  before  all  men,  is  the  admirable 
treasure  of  the  Church.  Those  who  can  comprehend 
this  stupendous  mystery,  O  wonderful  Virgin !  salute 
thee  as  being  at  once  priest  and  altar ;  for  thou  bearest 
the  table,  and  hast  given  unto  us  Christ,  the  heavenly 
Bread,  to  the  remission  of  our  sins.  The  angels  censured 
Eve,  but  now  they  glorify  thee,  who  hast  raised  up  our 
fallen  mother,  and  sent  to  heaven  poor  afflicted  man  that 
was  once  driven  from  Paradise.  For  through  thee  O 
holy  Virgin  !  the  gulf  between  God  and  man  has  been 
bridged  over  and  enmity  allayed.  Through  thee  peace 
has  come  into  the  world.  Through  thee  men  have  be¬ 
come  angels.  Through  thee  the  cross  has  been  made  to 
shine  forth  a  beacon  of  hope  and  safety  to  all  men. 
Through  thee  death  has  been  conquered  and  hell  rav¬ 
aged.  Through  thee  the  idols  of  paganism  have  fallen, 
the  divine  teachings  have  been  diffused.  Through  thee 
have  we  learned  to  know  the  Son  of  God,  for  thou  it 
was,  O  blessed  Virgin,  who  bore  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
whom  all  angels  and  all  men  adore.” 


Mary  Predestined  and  Selected  from  all  Eternity .  19 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  PREDESTINED  AND  SELECTED 
FROM  ALL  ETERNITY  AS  THE  MOTHER  OF  GOD. 

“  TN  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
A  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  The  same  was  in 
the  beginning  with  God.  All  things  were  made  by  Him  : 
and  without  Him  was  made  nothing  that  was  made.  In 
Him  was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men  :  and 
the  light  shineth  in  darkness,  and  the  darkness  did  not 
comprehend  it.  .  .  .  That  was  the  true  light,  which 
enlighteneth  every  man  that  cometh  into  this  world.  He 
was  in  the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  Him,  and 
the  world  knew  Him  not.  He  came  into  His  own  and 
his  own  received  Him  not.  But  as  many  as  received 
Him,  He  gave  them  power  to  be  made  the  sons  of  God, 
to  them  that  believe  in  His  name.  .  .  .  And  the  Word 
was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  and  we  saw  His 
glory,  the  glory  as  it  were  of  the  only  begotten  of  the 
Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth  ”  (John  i.). 

THE  DIVINE  PLAN  OF  THE  INCARNATION. 

During  all  eternity,  the  ever-blessed  and  adorable 
Trinity,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  had  dwelt  in  un¬ 
speakable  glory  and  happiness.  In  order  to  share  His 
being  with  other  creatures  and  to  make  them  happy  in 
the  knowledge  and  love  of  their  Creator,  the  most  high 
God  resolved  to  call  into  existence  out  of  nothing  a 
visible  creation.  Of  this  earthly  creation  man  was  the 
crown  and  masterpiece,  created  as  he  was  after  the  image 


20  The  Commg  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

and  likeness  of  an  infinitely  perfect  God.  From  all 
eternity,  this  creation  had  existed  in  the  mind  of  God. 
From  all  eternity,  too,  was  known  to  the  omniscient  God 
the  sad  fault  and  consequent  estrangement  from  Him  of 
the  first  human  pair.  From  all  eternity  the  Son  of  God 
was  pleased  and  resolved  to  assume  human  nature,  to 
offer  Himself  up,  out  of  voluntary  love,  as  a  victim  of 
sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  From  all  eternity, 
God  the  Father  had  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  sent  His 
only-begotten  Son,  that  all  who  believe  in  Him  may  be 
saved. (John  iii.  16.)  Now  as  the  great  work  of  Christ’s 
incarnation  and  man’s  redemption  was  predestined  from 
all  eternity,  it  necessarily  follows  that  the  mode  and  plan 
of  these  stupendous  mysteries  must  also  have  been  like¬ 
wise  predestined  from  all  eternity,  as  well  as  the  manner 
in  which  Christ,  the  Second  Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity, 
was  to  take  upon  Himself,  “  in  the  fulness  of  time,”  our 
human  nature. 

Christian  reader,  raise  the  eyes  of  your  soul  above  all 
time  and  space  :  exert  yourself  to  understand  and  realize, 
to  the  very  depths  of  your  heart  and  intellect,  the  sub¬ 
lime  mystery  of  Mary’s  election  by  heaven,  of  her  insep¬ 
arable  connection  with  the  Incarnation,  and  of  the  ex¬ 
alted  dignity  attaching  to  her  sacred  person  by  reason  of 
this  choice  of  heaven.  The  Holy  Catholic  Church  seeks 
to  make  this  truth  intelligible  to  you,  when  she  applies 
the  words  of  eternal  wisdom  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and 
puts  into  the  mouth  of  her  whom  we  honor  as  the  Seat  of 
wisdom  the  following  words  of  the  Holy  Ghost : 

“  The  Lord  possessed  me  in  the  beginning  of  His  ways, 
before  He  made  anything  from  the  beginning.  I  was  set 
up  from  eternity,  and  of  old  before  the  earth  was  made. 
The  depths  were  not  as  yet,  and  I  was  already  con¬ 
ceived :  neither  had  the  fountains  of  waters  as  yet  sprung 
out.  The  mountains  with  their  huge  bulk  had  not  as  yet 


Mary  Predestined  and  Selected  from  all  Eternity.  21 

been  established :  before  the  hills  I  was  brought  forth : 
He  had  not  yet  made  the  earth,  nor  the  rivers,  nor  the 
poles  of  the  world.  When  Pie  prepared  the  heavens,  I 
was  there :  when  with  a  certain  law  and  compass  He  en¬ 
closed  the  depths :  when  He  established  the  sky  above, 
and  poised  the  fountains  of  waters :  when  He  compassed 
the  sea  with  its  bounds,  and  set  a  law  to  the  waters  that' 
they  should  not  pass  their  limits  :  when  He  balanced  the 
foundations  of  the  earth.  I  was  with  Him  forming  all 
things  :  and  was  delighted  every  day,  playing  before  Him 
at  all  times.”  (Prov.  viii.  22-31.) 

These  words  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  aptly  and  truthfully 
applied  by  the  Church  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  What  an 
exalted  idea  they  afford  us  of  the  important  part  given  to 
her  by  the  eternal  Father  in  the  design  of  the  Incarnation  ! 
Rejoice  then,  Christian  reader,  with  a  child’s  grateful  feel¬ 
ings  ;  thank  your  loving  God  for  the  wise  and  beautiful 
selection  He  made  when  He  chose  Mary  to  be  His 
Mother. 

THE  PLAN  OF  THE  ATONEMENT. 

Again,  Christian  reader,  learn  in  your  heart  of  hearts 
and  bear  in  mind  that  the  Son  of  God  had  imposed  on 
Himself  the  task  of  redeeming  fallen  humanity.  Re¬ 
member,  too,  that  this  redemption  of  sinful  men  could  be 
effected  by  no  better  plan,  nor  more  in  accordance  with 
the  decrees  of  the  divine  wisdom,  mercy,  and  justice  of 
God,  and  to  the  greater  sanctification  of  man  than  through 
the  incarnation  of  the  Son  with  the  co-operation  of  a 
daughter  of  men.  Mary  was  chosen,  therefore,  from  all 
eternity,  not  only  to  be  the  Mother  of  Jesus  Christ,  but 
also  to  be  a  co-operator,  to  fill  a  position  and  to  discharge 
a  special  duty  in  the  work  of  the  Atonement.  Do  not 
grow  weary,  Christian  reader,  in  weighing  and  studying 


22  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

this  sublime  truth ;  otherwise  you  will  never  succeed  in 
rightly  comprehending  the  deep  significance  of  Mary’s 
part  in  your  salvation  and  sanctification. 

Almighty  God  could,  in  His  wisdom,  have  chosen  a 
thousand  different  ways  to  redeem  the  world.  But  He 
was  pleased  to  do  it  by  means  of  the  incarnation  of  the 
Second  Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity. 

As  far  as  it  is  possible  for  human  intellect  to  under¬ 
stand,  and  as  far  as  it  is  allowable  for  us  to  speak  of  the 
unfathomable  mysteries  of  Divine  Wisdom,  we  may  ven¬ 
ture  to  explain  that  God  was  pleased  to  adopt  this  plan 
of  a  visible  and  personal  atonement,  for  the  four  following 
reasons — reasons,  too,  which  serve  to  explain  the  share 
of  Mary  in  the  great  work : 

In  the  first  place,  God  wished  by  this  outward,  visible, 
and  personal  plan,  to  bring  man  back  again  to  the  in¬ 
visible. 

So  far  away  from  the  spiritual  had  sin  and  error  led 
misguided  man,  that  he  had  distorted  visible  things. 
The  very  objects  that  should  serve  to  lead  him  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  one  true  God  he  had  converted  into 
gods  themselves.  St.  Paul,  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles, 
tells  us  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  (i.  21-26)  : 

“Because  that,  when  they  knew  God,  they  have  not 
glorified  Him  as  God,  or  given  thanks  :  but  became  vain 
in  their  thoughts,  and  their  foolish  heart  was  darkened  : 
For  professing  themselves  to  be  wise  they  became  fools. 
And  they  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God 
into  the  likeness  of  the  image  of  a  corruptible  man,  and 
of  birds  and  of  four-footed  beasts  and  of  creeping  things. 
Wherefore  God  gave  them  up  to  the  desires  of  their  heart, 
unto  uncleanness  :  to  dishonor  their  own  bodies  among 
themselves  :  who  changed  the  truth  of  God  into  a  lie : 
and  worshipped  and  served  the  creature  rather  than  the 
Creator,  who  is  blessed  forever.  Amen.  For  this  cause 


1 


Copyright,  lb97,  by  Benzlger  Brothers. 


THE  ANNUNCIATION. 


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Mary  Predestined  and  Selected  from  all  Eternity.  23 

God  delivered  them  up  to  shameful  affections.  For  their 
women  have  changed  the  natural  use  into  that  use  which 
is  against  nature.” 

So  chained  down  were  men  to  mere  material  views  and 
notions,  that  they  would  never  have  accepted  a  purely 
spiritual  Redeemer,  whose  teachings  and  example  and 
whose  atoning  sacrifice  they  could  not  have  heard  and  seen 
by  their  bodily  ears  and  eyes.  What  infinite  condescen¬ 
sion  ;  what  love  for  man,  on  the  part  of  a  merciful  God,  thus 
to  assume  a  visible  form,  thus  to  adapt  Himself  to  our 
weakness,  thus  to  advance  towards  us,  meeting  the  creat¬ 
ure  in  his  own  sphere,  becoming  like  unto  him  in  all 
things  save  sin  !  How  could  men  fail  to  accept  such  a 
Redeemer  ?  In  order  that  this  visible  plan  and  this  con¬ 
descension  of  God  might  be  plainly  visible  to  men,  that 
the  Redeemer  might  be  a  visible  though  divine  person,  it 
was  decreed  that  He  should  be  born  of  a  woman  in  a 
human  manner,  like  any  other  man.  Thus  was  Mary,  our 
blessed  Mother,  predestined  from  all  eternity  in  the  all¬ 
wise  plans  of  God.  She  was  made  a  necessary  condition 
to  the  realization  of  the  plan  of  the  Redemption. 

In  the  second  place,  God  wished  to  win  the  confidence 
of  doubting  man,  to  bring  him  back  to  confidence  and 
hope,  by  means  of  a  mild  and  condescending  policy. 

Hardly  had  Adam  and  Eve  tasted  the  fruit  of  the 
forbidden  tree  in  Paradise,  when  they  felt  a  great  and 
indescribable  fear  come  upon  them,  and  they  endeavored 
to  “  hide  themselves  from  the  face  of  the  Lord,  amid  the 
trees  of  Paradise.”  (Gen.  iii.  8-10.)  This  same  fear  con¬ 
tinued  to  haunt  the  hearts  and  souls  of  all  men  through  all 
ages.  The  whole  history  of  ante-Christian  times  is  nothing 
but  one  continued  story  of  blighted  peoples,  filled  with  fear 
and  despondency.  But  now  a  merciful  God  wished  to 
bring  back  frightened  man  to  the  enjoyment  of  that  con¬ 
fidence  such  as  animated  the  beloved  disciple,  John  the 


24  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

Evangelist,  who  reposed  his  head  upon  the  bosom  of 
Jesus ;  to  that  confiding  trust  of  the  children  who  played 
at  the  Saviour’s  knees  ;  to  that  confiding  trust  which  must 
have  animated  Magdalen  when  kissing  His  feet ;  to  that 
confiding  trust  which  must  flow  from  His  kind  invitation  : 
“  Come  to  Me,  all  you  that  labor  and  are  burdened,  and 
I  will  refresh  you.”  (Matt.  xi.  28.)  With  thankful  and 
exulting  heart,  O  Christian,  consider  how  a  merciful  God 
knew  how  to  awaken  this  trust,  and  how  He  merits  it  at 
the  hands  of  men.  God  comes  to  us  as  a  child  !  On  the 
grace-laden  night  of  Christmas,  the  night  of  Christ’s  birth, 
the  joyous  message  was  first  delivered  to  the  fearful 
shepherds,  and  in  the  joyous  words  of  the  comforting 
angels  :  “  Fear  not ;  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings 
of  great  joy,  that  shall  be  to  all  the  people,  for  this  day  is 
born  to  you  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord.  .  .  .  And 
this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you.  You  shall  find  the  infant 
wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes  and  laid  in  a  manger.” 
(Luke  ii.  10-12.)  St.  Bernard,  in  a  sermon  on  this  beauti¬ 
ful  passage  of  Scripture,  thus  speaks  :  “  Why  should  you 
fear,  O  man?  Because  He  comes?  Yes,  He  comes; 
but  not  this  time  to  judge  the  world,  but  to  redeem  it. 
Hence  you  have  no  excuse  to  say,  like  our  first  parents : 

‘  I  heard  Thy  voice  and  hid  because  I  was  afraid.’  It 
was  on  this  account,  to  dispel  this  fear  of  despair,  that 
Christ  was  bom  a  harmless  child.  For  the  crying  of  an 
innocent  babe  awakens  compassion  rather  than  dread  in 
the  heart  of  the  listener  or  beholder.  A  kind  and  gentle 
maiden  holds  in  her  arms  the  tender  limbs  wrapped  up 
in  swaddling-garments.  How  then  can  you  fear,  O 
Christian  !  ”  (/;/  nativ.  Dom.  serm.  i.)  Ah,  no  !  Never 
will  I  fear  with  despairing  fear,  O  tender  Mother !  Thou 
art  my  refuge  and  my  hope.  Show  unto  me  Jesus,  the 
fruit  of  thy  chaste  womb,  O  gentle,  sweet,  and  tender 
Virgin  Mary ! 


Mary  Predestined  and  Selected  from  all  Eternity .  25 

In  the  third  place,  God  wished  to  free  men  from  the 
dominion  of  the  evils  under  which  they  groaned  through 
the  fall  of  a  woman,  by  the  intervention  of  a  woman  in 
the  redemption  and  restoration. 

“  From  the  woman  came  the  beginning  of  sin,  and 
through  her  we  all  die.”  (Ecclus.  xxv.  33.)  Thus  speaks 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Hence  it  was  eminently  proper  that 
according  to  the  decrees  of  God  the  grace  of  restoration 
should  come  forth  and  we  should  all  live.  Eve  had  been 
conquered  by  Satan.  Satan  was  conquered  by  Mary. 
God  Himself  could  have  crushed  the  serpent,  or  Satan, 
as  He  had  already  punished  him  at  the  time  when 
this  same  serpent  caused  the  great  rebellion  of  pride  in 
heaven,  for  which  he  was  plunged  into  endless  suffering. 
Or  He  could  have  punished  him  by  means  of  man,  the 
head  of  creation  and  of  the  human  race,  who  himself  was 
the  victim  of  Satan. 

But  God  was  pleased  to  act  otherwise.  He  punished 
the  serpent  through  woman  and  her  offspring.  The  di¬ 
vine  sentence  of  punishment  reads  thus  :  “  I  will  put 
enmities  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  thy  seed  and  her 
seed :  she  shall  crush  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  lie  in  wait 
for  her  heel.”  (Gen.  iii.  15.)  Thus  Mary  was  designed 
from  all  eternity  to  conquer  the  hellish  serpent,  and  to 
win  back,  through  her  Son,  for  fallen  man,  peace,  grace, 
love,  and  a  hopeful  expectancy  of  a  happy  eternity.  O 
heroic  Virgin  !  sprung  from  Juda’s  stock  (tree),  shelter  thy 
children  now  and  forever  from  the  continual  and  destruc¬ 
tive  snares  of  hell. 

In  the  fourth  place,  God  wished  to  offer  Himself  as  an 
infinite  Victim  of  expiation  to  the  offended  majesty  of  an 
infinite  God.  According  to  St.  Paul,  the  divine  Son,  at 
His  entrance  into  this  world,  thus  addressed  His  heavenly 
Father :  “  Sacrifice  and  oblation  thou  wouldst  not :  but 
a  body  Thou  hast  fitted  to  Me  [that  I  might  thus  offer 


26 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 


Thee  a  sacrifice].  Behold  I  come,  to  do  Thy  will,  O 
God.”  Again  St.  Paul  adds  :  “  In  the  which  will,  we 
are  sanctified  by  the  oblation  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ 
once  [for  all].”  (Heb.  x.  5,  9,  10.)  Now  this  body,  in 
which  Our  Saviour  bore  His  dreadful  sufferings  and  death, 
the  same  which  bled  on  the  cross,  and  which  is  continually 
kept  on  the  altars  of  our  churches  and  is  every  day 
offered  up  to  the  eternal  Father  as  the  most  pleasing, 
worthy,  and  acceptable  Victim,  this  body  was  formed  from 
the  sacred  person  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  For  that  pur¬ 
pose  was  she  set  apart  in  the  mind  of  God  during  all 
eternity,  to  fill  this  all-important  and  honorable  position 
in  the  order  of  Christian  sanctification. 

Christian  reader,  may  you  learn  to  comprehend  this 
profound  mystery  of  the  divine  motherhood  of  the  Virgin, 
the  important  bearing  it  has  on  the  Incarnation,  the  Re¬ 
demption,  and  the  founding  on  earth  of  God’s  kingdom, 
the  one,  holy,  catholic,  apostolic  Church.  But  as  I  am 
too  feeble  to  explain  it,  and  you  are  too  weak  to  under¬ 
stand  it,  let  us,  at  least,  in  humble  and  grateful  admira¬ 
tion,  praise  Divine  Providence,  not  only  because  He 
permitted  the  benefit  of  redemption  to  come  to  us,  but 
because  He  sent  it  to  us  in  so  salutary,  consoling,  and 
tender  a  manner,  and  because,  also,  He  granted  to  Mary 
so  important  a  share  in  the  great  work. 

We  will  renew,  confirm,  and  reduce  to  practice  our  love 
and  homage  to  Mary,  the  choicest  of  God’s  creatures. 
For  such  at  least  is  the  devotion  due  to  her  as  co-operator 
in  our  salvation,  as  Mother  of  God. 


1 


Mary  Foretold  by  the  Prophets. 


27 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  IS  FORETOLD  BY  THE 
PROPHETS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

THE  FIRST  PROMISE. 

IN  the  act  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  God’s  plans  began 
to  unfold  and  develop  themselves  more  immediately 
and  fully.  With  these  plans,  by  their  disobedience,  our 
first  parents  sadly  and  disastrously  interfered.  Then 
outraged  Majesty  appeared  at  once,  to  pronounce  sentence 
upon  the  guilty  pair.  To  the  serpent  who  had  tempted 
them  He  thus  spoke:  “I  will  put  enmities  between  thee 
and  the  woman,  between  her  seed  and  thy  seed.  She  shall 
crush  thy  head  and  thou  shalt  lie  in  wait  for  her  heel.” 
(Gen.  iii.  15.) 

Here  we  discover  the  paternal  goodness  of  God. 
Hardly  has  the  offence  been  committed,  hardly  has  the 
punishment  demanded  by  justice  been  inflicted,  when  a 
compassionate  God  permits  the  star  of  hope  to  rise  above 
the  dark  horizon  and  cast  its  cheering  rays  of  encourage¬ 
ment  upon  blighted  man  and  the  accursed  earth.  This 
star  was  a  woman  who  would  crush  the  devil’s  head, 
destroy  his  dominion  over  the  world,  and  bring  forth  a 
new  generation  pleasing  to  God  and  hostile  to  the  Evil 
One.  Christian  reader,  raise  your  heart,  your  eyes,  and 
your  hands  to  Mary.  She  is  the  morning  star  of  man’s 
hope,  the  star  that  appeared  first  in  the  dismal  morning 
of  human  history.  She  sailed  through  the  lowering  firma¬ 
ment  during  the  tedious  period  of  darkness,  comforting, 
strengthening,  and  enlightening  poor  bewildered  man 
pending  his  long  estrangement  from  his  Maker. 


28  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 

mary’s  kingly  ancestors. 

In  the  wake  of  the  comforting  promise  followed  a 
cycle  of  centuries,  with  their  natural  historical  occurrences, 
and  with  their  countless  sins  of  error  and  other  miseries 
to  man.  But  all  through  this  darksome  woof  of  time 
there  ran  a  thread  of  shining  gold;  namely,  the  long  and 
uninterrupted  genealogical  line  of  that  “  Seed,”  in  other 
words,  of  that  divine  Son  through  whose  power  and 
merits  the  woman  was  to  crush  the  enemy’s  head. 
From  the  loins  of  Seth,  Adam’s  righteous  son,  this  long 
line  of  ancestry  ran,  through  a  succession  of  patriarchs, 
prophets,  and  kings  in  Israel,  reaching  to  the  “  fulness 
of  time,”  and  constituting  a  glorious  tree  of  genealogy, 
such  as  no  mortal  king  or  emperor  can  boast  of  having 
possessed.  And  as  the  centuries  rolled  by,  the  desired 
star  of  hope  grew  plainer  and  brighter  in  the  firmament, 
each  year  declaring  itself  more  and  more  positively  and 
surely  to  longing,  watching  men. 

In  glowing  words  of  psalmistry,  the  Virgin’s  royal 
ancestor,  King  David,  thus  describes  her  glory.  In  spirit 
he  beholds  her  loveliness,  and  cries  out  as  did  Abraham 
when  he  beheld  the  day  of  the  Lord  :  “The  queen  stood 
on  thy  right  hand,  in  gilded  clothing ;  surrounded  with 
variety.”  To  the  Virgin  herself,  his  own  exalted  and  noble 
daughter,  he  thus  addresses  himself  : 

“  Hearken,  O  daughter,  and  see,  and  incline  thy  ear, 
and  forget  thy  people  and  thy  father’s  house.  And  the 
king  shall  greatly  desire  thy  beauty :  for  He  is  the  Lord 
thy  God,  and  Him  they  shall  adore.  And  the  daughters 
of  Tyre  with  gifts,  yea  all  the  rich  among  the  people,  shall 
entreat  thy  countenance.  All  the  glory  of  the  king’s 
daughter  is  within,  in  golden  borders.  Clothed  round 
about  with  varieties.  After  her  shall  virgins  be  brought 
to  the  king :  her  neighbors  shall  be  brought  to  thee. 


29 


Mary  Foretold  by  the  Prophets. 

They  shall  be  brought  with  gladness  and  rejoicing  :  they 
shall  be  brought  into  the  temple  of  the  king.  Instead  of 
thy  fathers,  sons  are  born  to  thee :  thou  shalt  make  them 
princes  over  all  the  earth.  They  shall  remember  thy 
name  throughout  all  generations.  Therefore  shall  peoples 
praise  thee  forever,  yea  forever  and  ever.”  (Ps.  xliv.  io- 
18.) 

How  beautifully  and  correctly  is  here  outlined  the 
image  of  her  who,  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  said  of 
herself,  “  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed  ”  !  (Luke 
ii.  48.) 

SOLOMON’S  CANTICLE. 

This  portion  of  Holy  Scripture  has  always  been  con¬ 
sidered  by  the  Fathers  as  an  appropriate  and  fitting 
apostrophe  to  the  Mother  of  Christ.  Holy  Church  in  her 
trials  and  triumphs  addresses  it  to  the  Mother  of  fair 
love  and  of  blessed  hope. 

Thus  through  the  mouth  of  Solomon  does  the  Bride¬ 
groom  speak  of  this  sublime  bride  of  the  Holy  Spirit : 

“  Thou  art  all  fair,  O  my  love,  and  there  is  not  a  spot 
in  thee.  My  spouse  is  a  garden  inclosed,  a  fountain  sealed 
up.  Who  is  she  that  cometh  forth  as  the  morning  rising, 
fair  as  the  moon,  bright  as  the  sun,  terrible  as  an  army 
set  in  array  ?  Put  me  as  a  seal  upon  thy  heart,  as  a  seal 
upon  thy  arm  ;  for  love  is  strong  as  death.”  (Cant.,  passim.) 

THE  GREAT  PROPHET  OF  THE  INCARNATION. 

Among  the  many  prophets  of  the  Old  Law  who  fore¬ 
told  the  coming  of  Christ,  none  proclaims  so  clearly  and 
beautifully  the  miraculous  maternity  of  Mary  and  the 
mysterious  birth  through  her  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  power¬ 
ful  seer  Isaias.  Eight  hundred  years  before  the  birth  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  he  significantly  writes  :  “  Hear  ye, 


3©  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 

therefore,  O  house  of  David,  .  .  .  the  Lord  Himself  shall 
give  you  a  sign.  Behold  a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear 
a  Son,  and  His  name  shall  be  called  Emmanuel”  (Is. 
vii.  13,  14),  that  is  to  say,  God  with  us.  Again  he  tells 
us,  still  more  definitely,  who  this  Virgin’s  Son  is  :  “  The 
people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great  light. 
For  a  Child  is  born  to  us,  and  a  Son  is  given  to  us,  and 
the  government  is  upon  His  shoulder;  and  his  name  shall 
be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  God,  the  Mighty,  the 
Father  of  the  world  to  come,  the  Prince  of  peace.”  (Is. 
ix.  2,  6.) 

In  order,  Christian  reader,  to  appreciate  properly  the 
verification  of  this  prophecy  thus  pronounced  eight  hun¬ 
dred  years  before  the  event  itself,  and  to  comprehend  its 
wonderful  fulfilment,  recall  to  your  memory  the  words 
addressed  by  the  Angel  Gabriel  to  Mary  in  her  lowly 
home  at  Nazareth.  “  Behold  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy 
womb  and  shalt  bring  forth  a  Son,  and  thou  shalt  call 
His  name  Jesus,”  that  is  Saviour  or  Redeemer.  “  He 
shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Most 
High,  and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  Plim  the  throne  of 
David  His  father :  and  He  shall  reign  in  the  house  of 
Jacob  forever.”  (Luke  i.  31,  32.) 

* 

THE  NEW  CREATION  OR  REGENERATION. 

The  sad  and  desolate  seer  of  the  unredeemed  world, 
Jeremias  the  prophet,  tells  us  of  a  new  creation  by  God. 
In  what  shall  this  regeneration  consist  ?  “  Thus  saith 

the  Lord.  .  .  .  The  people  found  grace  in  the  desert : 
Israel  shall  go  to  the  place  of  his  rest.  ...  I  have  loved 
thee  with  an  everlasting  love,  therefore  have  I  drawn 
thee,  taking  pity  on  thee.  And  I  will  build  thee  up 
again  and  thou  shalt  be  built,  O  virgin  of  Israel.  The 
Lord  hath  created  a  new  thing  upon  the  earth  :  A  woman 


Mary  Foretold  by  the  Prophets.  31 

shall  compass  a  man.”  (Jer.  xxxi.  2-4,  22.)  Is  it  not  in 
deed  and  in  truth  a  new  creation  of  the  Almighty,  peculiar 
in  its  very  nature  and  above  all  natural  laws,  that  a 
virgin  should  become  a  mother  and  conceive  and  en¬ 
compass  in  her  chaste  womb  her  own  Lord  and  Maker  ? 
Yet  this  new  creation  was  foretold  by  Jeremias,  the 
prophet,  six  hundred  years  previous. 

THE  PROPHET  MICHEAS. 

Among  the  lesser  prophets,  Micheas  likewise,  six 
hundred  years  before  the  event,  designates  the  very 
place  of  election  at  which  the  longed-for  Redeemer 
should  be  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  “  And  thou,  Bethle¬ 
hem  Ephrata,  art  a  little  one  among  the  thousands  of 
Juda ;  out  of  thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is 
to  be  the  ruler  in  Israel,  and  His  going  forth  is  from  the 
beginning,  from  the  days  of  eternity.”  Therefore  will 
the  people  of  Israel  be  given  up  for  chastisement  to  their 
enemies,  “  even  till  the  time  wherein  she  that  travaileth 
shall  bring  forth  :  and  the  remnant  of  his  brethren  shall 
be  converted  to  the  children  of  Israel.”  (Mich.  v.  2,  3.) 
This  woman  who  “  travaileth  ”  is  Mary,  the  same  who, 
by  the  birth  of  the  Saviour,  was  to  lead  back  and  rescue 
from  a  condition  of  chastisement  and  banishment  the 
rejected  people ;  conducting  them  into  the  kingdom  of 
peace  and  reconciliation. 

These  few  but  apt  and  important  prophecies  of  the 
Old  Testament  concerning  the  election  of  Mary,  and  fore¬ 
telling  her  virgin  motherhood  to  the  Redeemer,  will  be  to 
her  votaries  a  sufficient  proof  that  she  had  been  foretold. 
Moreover  we  must  not,  if  we  would,  separate  the  Blessed 
Virgin  from  her  divine  Son.  For  everything  among  the 
ancient  Israelites,  every  event  in  pagan  history  having  a 
bearing  on  Christ  Himself,  points  also  to  Mary  from  whom 
the  promised  Redeemer  was  to  be  born. 


32 


The  Comhig  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 


But  not  in  words  alone  was  Mary  foretold.  She,  who 
was  to  be  the  Mother  of  God,  of  the  Word  made  flesh,  wai 
also  prefigured  by  a  glorious  succession  of  remarkable 
and  striking  prototypes.  Sara,  Rebecca,  Judith,  Esther, 
Abigail,  and  the  mother  of  the  Machabees,  these  grand 
women  of  the  Old  Testament,  were  all  prototypes  of  thaj 
blessed  among  all  women,  the  most  holy  Mary. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ST.  JOACHIM  AND  ST.  ANNE,  THE  PARENTS  OF  THE 

BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

ST.  ANNE,  the  mother  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  is  one  of 
those  grand  saints  whose  real  merit  and  worth,  God, 
for  the  wisest  of  purposes,  makes  known  to  us,  only  after 
their  death.  Holy  Scripture  does  not  even  once  mention 
her  name.  There  is,  however,  to  be  found  floating  through 
history  a  wealth  of  oral  tradition  bearing  upon  these 
parents  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Much  of  this,  it  is  true, 
is  lacking  in  proof,  and  some  of  it  does  not  bear  even 
the  semblance  of  truth.  Christian  reader,  I  would  fain 
offer  to  you  for  study  and  meditation  nothing  but  what  is 
true  and  reasonable. 

Whatever  I  have  gleaned  from  the  most  reliable  sources, 
and  what,  according  to  the  best  authorities,  are  reliable 
and  credible  facts,  I  here  impart  to  you  with  fidelity. 

A  GOD-FEARING  COUPLE. 

St.  Anne  was  descended  from  the  tribe  of  Juda,  and 
a  member  of  the  royal  line  of  King  David.  She  was 


St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne. 


33 


brought  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  her  youth 
served  her  God  with  holy  joy.  When  grown  to  woman¬ 
hood,  she  was  espoused  to  an  equally  God-fearing,  God- 
loving  husband,  a  young  man  of  sublime  moral  character 
of  the  race  of  David.  His  name  was  Joachim,  or  Heli, 
and  he  lived  near  Nazareth. 

This  holy  pair,  selected  by  God  to  participate  in  the 
carrying  out  of  His  designs  for  the  immediate  preparation 
to  the  mystery  of  the  Redemption,  and  to  the  manifesta¬ 
tion  of  His  great  mercy,  dwelt  together  in  great  purity  of 
heart  and  perfection  of  soul,  in  the  eyes  of  their  Lord. 
Both  were  deeply  penetrated  with  a  vivid  perception  and 
appreciation  of  the  Divine  Goodness,  as  well  as  with  a 
proper  understanding  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Hence 
they  prayed  to  heaven  night  and  day  for  the  fulfilment 
of  the  divine  promise.  Their  lives  flew  past  in  unspeak¬ 
able  simplicity,  mildness,  and  humility.  They  divided 
into  three  parts  the  earnings  of  their  industrious  labor. 
One-third  of  these  earnings  they  gave  to  the  Temple  of 
God  at  Jerusalem,  for  the  maintenance  of  divine  worship. 
The  second  portion  they  divided  with  great  charity  among 
the  poor.  The  third  portion  they  reserved  for  their  daily 
sustenance  and  the  maintenance  and  comfort  of  their 
household. 

THE  WAY  OF  SORROWS. 

Divine  Wisdom  accomplishes  its  purposes  sometimes 
gently  and  noiselessly,  again  with  great  outward  manifes¬ 
tation  of  power.  Quietly  had  it  adorned  the  worthy  couple 
with  the  noble  virtues  of  chastity,  piety,  and  charitable 
love  of  their  neighbors.  Now  it  was  to  send  them  se¬ 
vere  tribulation ;  for  genuine  virtue  proves  its  solidity 
and  permanence  in  the  fiery  furnace  of  trial  and  afflic¬ 
tion.  The  holy  couple  had  lived  for  twenty  years  in 
3 


34  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

happy  wedlock  without  being  blessed  with  any  offspring. 
This  was  indeed  a  severe  trial,  as  will  presently  appear. 
Among  the  Jews  in  general,  but  more  especially  among 
those  of  the  line  of  David,  to  be  childless  was  looked 
upon  as  a  disgrace,  a  curse,  and  a  chastisement  from 
heaven.  Childless  parents  could  no  longer  hope  to  be 
among  the  ancestors  of  the  expected  Messias.  This 
exclusion  acted  as  a  discouragement  to  their  hopes ;  it 
tried  their  piety  and  their  standing  among  their  neighbors 
and  their  kinsmen  of  the  same  tribe.  They  were,  besides, 
condemned  to  live  secluded  in  sorrow  and  to  endure  ap¬ 
parent  disgrace  and  never-ending  reproaches  and  humili¬ 
ations. 

In  sincere  humility,  Joachim  and  Anne  submitted  to 
the  divine  will.  Confidence  in  the  goodness  of  God 
bore  them  up  in  their  bitterest  moments.  True,  the 
probability  of  their  ever  being  blessed  with  an  issue  was 
rapidly  declining,  as  they  were  advancing  farther  and 
farther  into  old  age.  Yet  they  continued  to  redouble 
their  prayers  and  multiply  their  offerings  to  God  in  the 
hope  of  obtaining  this  grace,  which  was  the  wish  of  their 
hearts,  from  heaven.  One  day,  after  long  prayers  and 
abundant  tears,  St.  Anne  suddenly  remembered  having 
read  in  Holy  Scripture  that  the  mother  of  Samuel,  who 
like  herself  was  named  Anne,  had  under  similar  circum¬ 
stances  made  a  vow  that  if  she  should  be  blessed  with  a 
child  she  would  dedicate  it  to  God.  St.  Anne  followed 
her  example.  From  the  depth  of  her  heart  she  uttered 
the  self-same  words  pronounced  by  her  saintly  ancestress, 
who  “  made  a  vow  saying  :  O  Lord  of  hosts,  if  thou  wilt 
look  down  and  wilt  be  mindful  of  me,  and  not  foget  thy 
handmaid,  and  wilt  give  to  thy  servant  a  man-child :  I 
will  give  him  to  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  his  life.”  (i  Kings 
i.  ii.)  Then,  with  renewed  hope  and  with  gifts  for  the 
Temple  more  generous  than  ever  before  they  repaired  to- 


St.  Joachim  and  St.  A?me. 


35 


gether  on  the  festival  day  to  Jerusalem*  to  make  another 
effort  to  “  take  heaven  by  violence,  for  the  violent  carry 
it  away.”  But  here  again,  an  all-wise  God,  who  always 
puts  to  the  test  the  virtues  of  his  most  faithful  friends, 
permitted  it  so  to  happen  that  their  faith  and  reliance  in 
heaven  were  exposed  to  a  severe  trial.  As  the  modest 
pair  were  timidly  approaching  the  altar  with  their  offer¬ 
ings,  one  of  the  chief  priests  met  them,  and  eying  them 
with  anger  and  scorn,  spoke  to  them  publicly  and  in 
hearing  of  the  assembled  people,  saying :  “  How  dare 
you,  useless  creatures  that  you  are,  presume  to  make 
offerings  to  the  Lord  ?  Go  away,  lest  by  your  offerings 
to  the  Most  High  you  draw  down  upon  your  heads  His 
just  anger,  for  your  oblation  can  never  find  favor  in  His 
eyes.” 

Cut  to  their  very  hearts,  and  blushing  with  shame  and 
confusion,  the  afflicted  couple  hastily  withdrew.  Joachim 
wept  with  anguish,  but  in  the  midst  of  his  tears  he  prayed 
in  humility  to  the  Lord.  “  O  Lord,  eternal  God,  under 
the  influence  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit  we  were  led  to  the  Tem¬ 
ple.  Behold  us  disgraced  at  the  very  altar  and  turned 
rudely  away.  My  many  sins  deserve  this  disgrace,  there¬ 
fore  I  accept  it  and  submit  to  Thy  will.  But  O  God,  de¬ 
spise  not  the  creature  of  Thy  almighty  hand.  If  our  sins 
hold  back  Thy  mercy  from  us,  oh,  then  remove  from  our 
hearts  whatever  may  be  displeasing  to  Thee  !  For  Thou 
art  powerful,  O  God  of  Israel,  and  what  Thou  wiliest, 
Thou  doest,  notwithstanding  man’s  unwillingness.  Let 
our  prayers  reach  the  foot  of  Thy  throne.  We  are  poor 
and  miserable,  but  Thou  are  infinite,  yet  ever  inclined  to 
bow  down  Thy  ear  and  hand  in  mercy  to  the  lowly  and 
desolate.  ” 

*This  devout  couple  had  in  Jerusalem  either  as  their  own  prop¬ 
erty,  or  at  least  rented,  a  small  house  where  they  used  to  dwell  dur¬ 
ing  their  frequent  and  protracted  pilgrimages  to  the  Temple. 


36  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

Joachim  then  repaired  into  a  desert  place ;  for,  on  the 
one  hand  he  did  not  wish,  after  his  late  deep  disgrace,  to 
appear  among  his  friends  and  neighbors ;  on  the  other 
hand  he  wished,  by  protracted  prayer,  watching,  fasting, 
and  weeping,  to  storm  the  goodness  of  God,  and  to  be¬ 
seech  Him  to  convert  their  disgrace  to  His  honor  and 
glory.  St.  Anne  performed  the  same  devotions  in  her 
own  house  :  augmenting  her  alms  to  the  poor,  and  suffer¬ 
ing  in  silent  patience  the  contempt  and  mockery  of  her 
own  maid-servant. 


EASTER  JOYS. 

Joachim  passed  forty  days  in  the  desert.  His  grief 
was  soon  to  be  turned  into  joy.  An  angel  of  the  Lord 
came  to  him  and  said  :  “Joachim,  thou  hast  been  a  faith¬ 
ful  and  upright  servant  of  God.  The  Most  High  from 
His  throne  in  heaven  has  heard  thy  prayers  and  longings. 
He  will  grant  to  thee  and  thy  devout  companion  more 
than  you  have  asked  for.  For  behold,  Anne  shall  con¬ 
ceive  and  bring  forth  a  daughter  who  shall  be  blessed 
among  women,  and  she  shall  be  called  Mary.  This  shall 
be  a  sign  to  thee ;  namely,  when  thou  goest  to  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  thou  wilt  meet  thy  wife  before  the  gate  which  is 
called  Golden.” 

About  the  same  time,  an  angel  appeared  to  St.  Anne 
and  brought  her  the  same  joyful  tidings.  Without  any 
knowledge  of  each  other’s  movements,  the  holy  couple 
rose  up  and  repaired  to  the  sanctuary  of  the  Temple,  in 
order  to  return  thanks  to  God.  As  Joachim  was  about 
to  pass  through  the  Golden  Gate  that  stands  behind  the 
Temple  and  opens  towards  the  valley  of  Josaphat,  he  met 
St.  Anne.  After  the  mysterious  vision  of  the  angel,  she 
in  company  with  her  maid  had  travelled  up  to  Jerusalem, 
in  order  to  testify  her  thankfulness  for  God’s  great  mercies 


St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne. 


37 


to  her.  How  unspeakable  was  the  joy  of  St.  Anne  and 
St.  Joachim  when  they  thus  met  after  an  absence  of 
many  days  filled  with  grief  and  sadness !  Together 
they  entered  the  Temple  and  offered  up  a  lamb.  As  St. 
Anne  had  previously  sympathized  with  the  grief  of  Anna, 
the  mother  of  Samuel,  and,  after  her  example,  had  uttered 
a  similar  vow,  so  now  she  might  well,  in  the  exultation  of 
her  heart,  chant  the  hymn  of  praise,  sung  of  yore  by  her 
ancestress  when  God  was  pleased  to  grant  her  prayer : 

“  My  heart  hath  rejoiced  in  the  Lord,  and  my  horn  is 
exalted  in  my  God :  my  mouth  is  enlarged  over  my 
enemies :  because  I  have  joyed  in  thy  salvation.  There 
is  none  holy  as  the  Lord  is  :  for  there  is  no  other  beside 
Thee,  and  there  is  none  strong  like  our  God.  Do  not 
multiply  to  speak  lofty  things,  boasting :  let  old  matters 
depart  from  your  mouth :  for  the  Lord  is  a  God  of  all 
knowledge,  and  to  Him  are  thoughts  prepared.  The  bow 
of  the  mighty  is  overcome,  and  the  weak  are  girt  with 
strength.  They  that  were  full  before  have  hired  out 
themselves  for  bread  :  and  the  hungry  are  filled,  so  that 
the  barren  hath  born  many :  and  she  that  had  many  chil¬ 
dren  is  weakened.  The  Lord  killeth  and  maketh  alive, 
He  bringeth  down  to  hell  and  bringeth  back  again.  The 
Lord  maketh  poor  and  maketh  rich,  He  humbleth  and 
He  exalteth.  He  raiseth  up  the  needy  from  the  dust, 
and  lifteth  up  the  poor  from  the  dunghill,  that  he  may  sit 
with  princes,  and  hold  the  throne  of  glory.  For  the  poles 
of  the  earth  are  the  Lord’s,  and  upon  them  He  hath  set 
the  world.  He  will  keep  the  feet  of  His  saints,  and  the 
wicked  shall  be  silent  in  darkness,  because  no  man  shall 
prevail  by  his  own  strength.  The  adversaries  of  the  Lord 
shall  fear  Him  :  and  upon  them  shall  He  thunder  in  the 
heavens :  the  Lord  shall  judge  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and 
He  shall  give  empire  to  His  king,  and  shall  exalt  the 
horn  of  His  Christ.”  (i  Kings  ii.  i-ii.) 


38 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 

Christian  reader,  rejoice  with  this  happy  couple,  con¬ 
gratulate  them,  and  in  your  own  severe  trials  and  tribula¬ 
tions,  implore  these  holy  parents  for  assistance  and  pro¬ 
tection.  Moreover,  dear  reader,  persevere  in  prayer,  be 
constant  in  your  confidence  in  God,  and  you  will  experi¬ 
ence  the  goodness  of  God.  Your  sorrow  shall  be  turned 
into  joy. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MARY  CONCEIVED  WITHOUT  SIN. 

CHRISTIAN  reader,  with  heartfelt  joy,  but  also  with 
reverent  humility,  pronounce  the  wordsv“  Immacu¬ 
late  Conception.”  With  joy,  because  of  the  unparalleled 
distinction  with  which  our  beloved  Mother  was  honored. 
With  humble  reverence,  because  we  are  incompetent  to 
treat  this  sublime  mystery,  and  because  it  reminds  us  of 
our  own  sinfulness.  Mary,  conceived  without  the  stain 
of  original  sin,  assist  us  to  praise  becomingly  thy  exalted 
dignity  in  this  profound  mystery  of  thy  immaculate 
conception. 


THE  CHILD  OF  GRACE. 

In  the  last  chapter,  Christian  reader,  you  observed, 
not  without  deep  sentiments  of  compassion,  the  severe 
trials  that  the  saintly  parents  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  were 
compelled  to  undergo,  on  account  of  their  childlessness. 
You  admired  their  confidence  in  God  and  their  courage 
and  constancy  in  the  hour  of  trial.  You  rejoiced  when 
their  prayers  were  at  last  heard,  and  their  wishes 
gratified.  All  this  must  have  served  to  awaken  in  your 
soul  the  conviction  that  the  child  born  of  these  parents, 


Mary  Conceived  Without  Sin. 


39 


now  so  far  advanced  in  years  and  until  this  late  day  so 
barren,  could  not  be  a  mere  child  of  nature.  It  must  be 
a  child  of  grace,  a  miraculous  gift  from  God,  though  in 
a  strict  sense  begotten  of  these  parents  and  belonging 
to  the  race  of  Adam.  “  When  St.  Anne,”  says  St.  John 
Damascene,  “  conceived  the  Blessed  Virgin,  nature  yielded 
her  place  to  grace.”  Such  was  the  earliest  privilege  and 
prerogative  of  Mary,  to  be  conceived  immaculate,  to  be 
spared  all  contact  with  everything  begotten  of  sensuality 
and  fleshly  lust. 

Happy,  chaste,  holy  parents  of  the  purest  of  virgins  ! 
you  are  now  enjoying  in  everlasting  glory  the  reward  of 
your  angelic  lives.  Obtain  for  all  married  couples  the 
same  spirit  of  resolute  chastity.  Alas,  O  Lord,  how 
often  a  shameful  lust  of  the  senses  poisons  the  early  life 
of  young  persons  in  the  very  bud  of  manhood  or  woman¬ 
hood  !  How  often  are  the  blessings  and  the  grace  of  God 
shut  out  from  the  hearts  of  members  of  an  otherwise 
happy  family  by  an  unworthy,  degrading,  beastly  exer¬ 
cise  of  married  life ! 

mary’s  body. 

We  must  bear  in  mind  that  Mary’s  sublime  conception 
was  not  solely  in  reference  to  her  as  being  the  child 
of  saintly  and  chaste  parents ;  but  much  more,  in  fact 
wholly,  in  reference  to  her  high  dignity  as  the  long-pre¬ 
destined  and  future  Mother  of  the  most  high  God.  The 
body  of  this  lovely  infant  was  predestined  to  a  double 
honor :  first  to  be  the  tabernacle  of  the  purest  soul  ever 
created,  and  secondly,  and  chiefly,  to  be  the  temple  of  God. 
If  the  bodies  of  our  first  parents,  Adam  and  Eve,  came 
forth  from  the  hands  of  their  Creator  perfect  in  their 
kind,  how  perfect,  how  pure,  how  free  from  every  in¬ 
clination  to  sin,  must  have  been  the  body  of  the  Mother 


40  2he  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 

of  God  !  At  no  distant  day,  the  infinite  majesty  of  God 
was  to  assume  this  blood  and  this  flesh. 

Hence  the  body  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  from  the 
very  moment  of  its  conception  a  worthy  object  of  the 
love  and  complacency  of  God.  It  was  the  crown  of 
visible  creation.  Hence,  too,  should  you,  Christian 
reader,  admire  and  reverence  the  body  of  the  Mother  of 
God,  for  it  was  the  dwelling-place  of  a  holy  soul,  and  the 
ostensorium  of  Divinity.  Forget  not  that  your  soul,  too, 
though  in  a  lower  sense,  is  a  temple  of  God.  In  words 
of  warning  and  solicitude,  St.  Paul  in  his  First  Epistle  to 
the  Corinthians  tells  us  :  “  Know  you  not  that  you  are 
the  temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in 
you  ?  But  if  any  man  violate  the  temple  of  God,  him 
shall  God  destroy.  For  the  temple  of  God  is  holy,  which 
you  are.  Know  you  not  that  your  bodies  are  members 
of  Christ,  that  your  members  are  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  who  is  in  you,  whom  you  have  from  God,  and  you 
are  not  your  own.  For  you  are  bought  with  a  great  price. 
Glorify  and  bear  God  in  your  body.”  (iii.  16 ;  vi.  19,  20.) 

Therefore,  Christian  reader,  conceive  and  cherish  a 
sacred  reverence  for  your  own  body.  It  is  a  miracle- 
work  of  creation.  During  your  holy  communion  it  be¬ 
comes  a  very  ostensorium  of  the  Almighty  God,  who  is 
the  source  and  origin  of  all  goodness.  It  has  been  pur¬ 
chased  at  a  high  price ;  no  less  than  the  precious  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ.  It  is,  moreover,  destined  to  dwell  forever 
in  happiness  in  the  presence  of  its  Maker.  Learn,  then, 
to  always  look  upon  your  body,  and  the  bodies  of  all 
your  fellow-beings,  as  nothing  less  than  living  temples  of 
God. 

mary’s  soul. 

Let  us  reverently  glance  at  the  soul  of  the  Mother  of 
God.  The  human  soul  is  the  most  mysterious  and  un- 


Mary  Conceived  Without  Sin.  41 

fathomable  miracle-work  of  creation.  It  springs  from 
heaven,  and  thither  it  is  destined  to  return.  It  came 
forth  from  the  mouth  of  the  Most  High,  when  He  breathed 
it  into  the  breast  of  the  first  man.  It  is  an  image  and 
likeness  of  the  Deity.  It  is  the  soul  that  places  man  at 
the  head  of  God’s  creation,  as  its  ruler.  It  is  the  soul 
that  renders  man  capable  of  knowing  his  God,  of  loving 
Him  and  serving  Him.  All  this  may  be  said  of  any 
ordinary  soul  on  account  of  its  own  nature,  but  of  the 
soul  of  the  most  exalted  of  God’s  creatures,  all  this  was 
true  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  From  its  first  spirit-act, 
its  free  will  was  in  complete  accord  with  the  divine  will. 
Its  first  and  last  spirit-act  of  the  will  was  a  pure  and  dis¬ 
interested  act  of  oblation,  an  act  of  the  fullest  surrender 
of  self  and  of  her  will  to  the  will  of  the  heavenly  Father, 
an  unqualified  fiat — “  be  it  done.”  Mary,  the  second 
Eve,  began  then  her  earthly  life  with  an  act  of  obedience, 
while  the  first  Eve  plunged  the  whole  human  race  into 
destruction  by  an  act  of  disobedience.  In  regard  to  her 
knowledge  we  salute  her  as  the  Seat  of  Wisdom,  as  the 
wisest  among  the  wise  virgins,  as  the  Mother  of  Good 
Counsel.  Certainly  so  sinless  a  soul  must  have  possessed 
the  brightest  and  the  most  copious  talents  and  ability. 

If  the  soul  of  St.  Anne’s  daughter,  in  its  acts  of  willing 
and  knowing,  was  like  the  clearest  mirror,  from  whose 
bright  surface  the  image  of  the  Deity  was  powerfully  re¬ 
flected,  her  perceiving  and  passively  affected  soul  was 
the  dwelling-place  of  the  most  refined  sentiments  of  in¬ 
terior  love  for  God,  and  of  the  charitable  love  for  her 
fellow-beings.  In  the  very  bud  resided  the  germ  of  that 
heroism  with  which  she  held  up  against  the  thrusts  of  the 
seven-fold  sword  that  afterwards  pierced  her  heart,  and 
that  enabled  her  to  stand  bravely  to  the  last  moment 
beneath  the  cross  of  her  dying  Son. 

Alas,  how  thoughtless,  how  sinful,  we  are  to  trifle  with 


42  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

the  sacred  feelings  and  affections  of  the  soul.  How 
subject  we  are  to  the  influence  of  caprice  and  whim  ! 
how  easily  we  permit  ourselves  to  be  turned  away  from 
our  tendency  to  God  by  every  shifting  wind  of  sensuality  ! 
How  we  return  to  the  right  path  and  again  abandon  it  ! 
Yet  we  ought  to  know,  and  the  experience  of  our  past 
life  should  teach  us,  that  our  souls  with  all  their  longings 
and  desires,  with  their  affections  and  yearnings  can  never 
find  peace  or  satisfaction  till  they  repose  in  God  Himself. 

THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION. 

Now,  Christian  reader,  gather  up  all  the  powers  of 
your  understanding  and  will,  in  order  to  contemplate 
the  origin  and  the  completion  of  this  mystery.  This 
miracle-mystery,  so  peculiar  in  itself,  so  unparalleled  in 
the  decrees  of  Providence,  wrought  in  Mary’s  person  by 
the  Almighty  God,  consists  in  this  great  truth  :  That 
she,  in  the  first  moment  of  her  conception,  by  special 
grace  and  permission  of  Almighty  God,  by  virtue  of  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Redeemer  of  mankind,  was 
preserved  from  every  stain  of  original  sin.  This  is  not  a 
mere  pious  opinion  of  over-zealous  votaries  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  ;  but  it  is,  as  you  know  and  believe,  the  pronounced 
and  expressed  doctrine  of  faith  held  by  the  infallible 
Catholic  Church,  which  Church  we  cannot  refuse  our  un¬ 
reserved  submission. 

Let  us,  now,  in  the  first  place,  Christian  reader,  en¬ 
deavor  to  learn  something  about  the  nature  of  original 
sin,  as  defined  and  set  forth  in  the  Council  of  Trent. 
Adam,  the  chief  father  of  the  whole  human  race,  by  his 
transgression  of  the  divine  command,  injured  not  only 
himself,  but  also  his  whole  posterity.  He  also  lost,  by 
his  sin  of  disobedience,  the  sanctity  and  justice  bestowed 
upon  him  by  God,  and  lost  them  for  us  all.  Tainted  by  his 


Mary  Conceived  Without  Sin. 


43  * 


sin  of  disobedience,  he  fastened  upon  all  future  sons  of 
his  family,  not  only  death  and  bodily  sufferings,  but  also 
sin,  which  is  the  death  of  the  soul. 

Thus,  all  of  Adam’s  children  carry  on  their  brow  the 
brand  of  sin  and  shame.  Great  and  disastrous  is  the 
evil  that  this  sin  produces  within  us.  It  robs  us  of  our 
higher  and  supernatural  life,  it  enfeebles  and  wounds  our 
very  nature.  Frequently  the  very  symptoms  of  the  origi¬ 
nal  grandeur  and  beauty  of  this  nature  become  barely 
perceptible,  while  the  likeness  of  God,  which  once  shone 
forth  so  brilliantly  from  it  before  the  eyes  of  angels,  has 
been  completely  hidden  from  view. 

Now,  from  this  original  sin,  and  from  all  its  deadly  con¬ 
sequences,  was  the  Blessed  Virgin  shielded  and  preserved 
from  the  moment  of  her  immaculate  conception.  As  our 
late  Holy  Father,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  declared  in  his  defini¬ 
tion  of  this  mystery  :  “  It  was  becoming  that  the  ever- 
blessed  Virgin  should  be  clothed  in  a  garment  of  perfect 
sanctity,  that  she  should  be  exempt  from  every  stain  of 
original  sin,  that  she  should  win  the  most  complete  vic¬ 
tory  over  the  old  serpent.  For  she  was  to  be  a  Mother 
in  every  respect  worthy  of  her  divine  Son.  She  was  to 
be  chosen  by  God  to  be  the  Mother  of  His  only  begotten 
Son,  whom  He  loved  as  He  loved  Himself,  and  who  ac¬ 
cording  to  His  nature  was  to  be,  at  one  and  the  same 
time,  the  Son  of  God  the  Father  and  the  Son  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  She  was  to  be  the  Mother  chosen  by  the 
Second  Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity.  She  it  was  from 
whom  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  divine  acts  of  His  will  and 
operation,  was  to  cause  Him  to  be  born,  from  whom  He 
Himself  proceeds.  It  was  becoming  that  He  who  has 
in  heaven  a  Father,  whom  the  seraphim  praise  as  the 
thrice-holy  God,  should  have  on  earth  a  mother  who  was 
not  for  a  moment  deprived  of  grace,  innocence,  or  glory.” 

Moreover,  the  teaching  of  the  Church  regarding  this 


44  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin . 

mystery  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  is  not  to  be 
understood  in  the  sense  that  Mary  did  not  need  the 
graces  of  the  Atonement  through  Jesus  Christ.  It  is 
clearly  and  expressly  affirmed  that  she  was  exempted  from 
sin  and  sanctified  through  the  merits  of  Christ  and  by 
virtue  of  grace,  of  grace  preventing  original  sin,  as  we 
through  the  same  are  cleansed  after  our  birth  in  holy 
Baptism.  But  it  would  also  be  a  heresy  to  maintain  or 
believe  that  the  sanctification  accruing  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  by  virtue  of  her  immaculate  conception  is  the 
same  as  is  operated  in  us  by  the  waters  of  Baptism. 
True,  by  the  grace  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  guilt  of 
original  sin  is  remitted,  and  everything  pertaining  strictly 
to  the  true  and  exact  nature  of  sin  is  blotted  out.  Yet 
the  reliquiae  of  sin,  the  germ  of  sin,  the  concupiscence  of 
our  lower  nature,  remain.  This  lingering  concupiscence 
is  the  reason  why  we  are  so  early  surprised  by  its  emo¬ 
tions,  why  we  cannot  through  the  long  course  of  our  lives 
save  ourselves  from  any  sin  without  the  aid  of  a  special 
grace.  But  Mary  was  preserved  even  from  this  concupis¬ 
cence  arising  from  original  sin,  so  that  she  was  sanctified 
not  only  in  her  soul,  but  also  in  her  body.  During  her 
whole  life  upon  earth  she,  by  special  aid  of  grace,  kept  her¬ 
self,  body  and  soul,  intact  from  even  the  smallest  sin 
against  God.  Therefore  the  grace  of  sanctification  with 
which  Mary  was  favored  in  her  immaculate  conception 
reached  an  immeasurably  higher  degree  than  our  sanctifi¬ 
cation  in  Baptism. 

Chosen  to  be  the  Mother  of  the  Son  of  God,  she  was, 
even  in  the  moment  of  her  conception,  so  filled  with  the 
treasures  of  divine  grace,  that  the  Archangel  Gabriel 
could  with  truth  address  her  a  title  belonging  only  to 
herself,  namely,  that  of  “full  of  grace.”  For  the  same 
reason,  too,  did  she  excel  by  far  all  created  beings,  even 
the  seraphim  and  cherubim.  This  grace  was  planted  in 


The  Immaculate  Conceptio?i  Occasions  Joy.  45 

her  inmost  being,  where  it  struck  deep  roots,  and  in  her 
life  put  forth  beauteous  foliage  and  flowers  and  brought 
forth  abundant  fruit.  This  grace  was  like  a  fire  which 
warmed  into  ardent  piety  her  whole  soul,  her  every 
thought,  her  will,  her  intellect.  It  was  a  light  which  cast 
its  bright  rays  of  heroism,  beauty,  and  gentleness  over  her 
whole  being.  This  fire  and  this  light  were  now  to  burst 
forth  upon  the  world,  to  enlighten  and  warm  it. 

Such  is  the  mystery  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin.  Christian  reader,  if  you  meditate 
earnestly  on  this  mystery,  study  it  assiduously,  you  will 
comprehend  and  realize  that  the  moment  of  such  a  con¬ 
ception  must  have  been  a  moment  of  intense  joy  and  un¬ 
speakable  satisfaction  both  for  heaven  and  for  earth,  as 
well  as  a  moment  of  indescribable  terror  to  the  powers  of 
hell. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

JOY  OCCASIONED  BY  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION. 

BY  the  first  sin  the  tender  relations  existing  between  God 
and  man  were  snapped  asunder.  Father  and  child 
were  separated  from  each  other  in  anger  and  sorrow. 
The  glorious  likeness  of  God  imprinted  on  the  soul  of 
man  was  turned  into  a  caricature,  and  became  an  object 
of  horror  and  disgust  in  the  eyes  of  the  Creator.  Man¬ 
kind  then  strayed  away  from  the  paths  of  righteousness 
and  violated  God’s  laws. 

At  a  very  early  period,  even  before  the  deluge,  there 
came,  so  to  speak,  a  complete  break  between  God  and 
man.  “  And  God  seeing  that  the  wickedness  of  men  was 
great  on  the  earth,  and  that  all  the  thought  of  their  heart 


46 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin , 


was  bent  upon  evil  at  all  times,  it  repented  Him  that  He 
had  made  man  on  the  earth.  And  being  touched  inwardly 
with  sorrow  of  heart,  He  said  :  I  will  destroy  man,  whom 
I  have  created,  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  from  man  even 
to  beast ;  .  .  .  for  it  repenteth  me  that  I  have  made 
them.”  (Gen.  vi.  5-7.)  Century  after  century  sin  suc¬ 
ceeded  sin,  shame  was  heaped  upon  shame.  With  the 
honorable  exception  of  a  few  chosen  people,  all  men 
worshipped  false  gods.  Heaven’s  gates  were  closed 
against  all- — that  heaven  which  had  been  destined  to  re¬ 
ceive  into  all  its  glory  and  happiness  every  child  of  earth. 
Of  millions  and  millions  of  men  who  were  born,  who 
lived,  and  who  died,  not  one  attained  to  the  possession  of 
the  one  true  God.  Things  were  in  this  deplorable  con¬ 
dition,  when,  as  reckoned  by  learned  and  holy  writers,  in 
the  memorable  year  of  732  after  the  foundation  of  pagan 
Rome,  on  the  eighth  of  December,  was  a  child  conceived 
in  the  Land  of  Promise,  in  whose  being  reposed  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  the  complacency  and  grace  of  God. 

Here  was  a  source  of  joy  for  the  ever-adorable  Trinity. 
But  it  was  more.  This  sinless  creature  is  destined  to  be 
the  daughter  of  God  the  Father,  the  Mother  of  God  the 
Son,  and  the  spouse  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  With  the  same 
complacent  happiness  -that  a  father  looks  upon  his 
daughter,  a  son  upon  his  mother,  a  bridegroom  upon  his 
bride,  did  the  Blessed  Trinity  look  down  on  Mary,  sinless 
and  immaculate. 

She  was  the  dawn  of  a  bright,  fresh,  happy  day,  after  a 
long  and  dreary  night.  She  was  the  inauguration  of  that 
reign  of  peace,  of  grace,  and  of  justice,  during  which  men 
would  adore  the  one  true  God  in  spirit  and  truth  ;  during 
which  God,  in  His  goodness,  mercy,  and  wisdom,  would  be 
known,  served,  and  loved,  and  during  which  it  would  be 
His  delight  to  dwell  among  the  children  of  men.  (Prov. 
viii.  31.) 


■ 

III 


The  Immaculate  Conception  Occasions  Joy.  47 

JOY  IN  HEAVEN. 

The  Immaculate  Conception  of  Mary  was  a  subject  of 
extraordinary  joy  among  the  angels  of  heaven.  It  is  a 
well-founded  opinion,  and  one  not  without  Scripture  proof, 
that  the  most  high  God  placed  before  the  angels  the 
image  of  His  future  Mother,  in  order  to  try  their  humility. 

Here  was  shown  to  them  the  image  of  a  sinless  human 
being,  of  her  who  was  to  be  their  future  queen.  At  this 
sight,  the  faithful  angels  were  filled  with  holy  joy,  and 
seized  with  the  utmost  admiration.  They  were  astonished 
at  the  boundless  goodness  of  their  almighty  Creator,  they 
glowed  with  sacred  love  for  the  virgin  Mother  of  their 
God,  and  cheerfully  recognized  her  as  their  lady  and 
mistress.  One  of  the  most  exalted  spirits,  however,  a 
cherub  who  shone  like  the  morning  star,  was  offended  at 
this  wonderful  elevation  of  human  nature  above  the  very 
angels  themselves,  and  even  communicated  his  proud, 
rebellious  thoughts  to  other  spirits,  to  whom  he  said 
in  tones  of  anger :  “  I  will  ascend  into  [the  highest] 
heaven,  I  will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of  God,  I 
will  sit  in  the  mountain  of  the  covenant,  in  the  sides  of 
the  north.  I  will  ascend  above  the  height  of  the  clouds, 
I  will  be  like  the  Most  High.”  (Is.  xiv.  13,  14.)  On 
account  of  their  humble  submission,  the  faithful  angels 
became  more  beautiful,  more  spiritual,  more  like  unto 
God.  Lucifer  and  his  unhappy  followers,  on  the  contrary, 
were  transformed  into  demons,  and  hurled  down  from  the 
heights  of  heaven  to  the  depths  of  everlasting  degradation 
and  suffering.  The  inspired  Seer  of  Patmos,  the  beloved 
disciple  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  describes  this  event  in 
the  following  words  of  the  Apocalypse  :  “  A  great  sign 

appeared  in  heaven  :  a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and 
the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  on  her  head  a  crown  of 
twelve  stars.  And  there  was  seen  another  sign  in  heaven  ; 


48  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

and  behold  a  great  red  dragon  having  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns  ;  and  on  his  heads  seven  diadems.  And  the 
dragon  stood  before  the  woman  who  was  ready  to  be  de¬ 
livered,  that  when  she  should  be  delivered,  he  might  de¬ 
vour  her  Son.  And  there  was  a  great  battle  in  heaven  ; 
Michael  and  his  angels  fought  with  the  dragon,  and  the 
dragon  fought  and  his  angels.  And  they  prevailed  not, 
neither  was  their  place  found  any  more  in  heaven.  And 
that  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent,  who  is 
called  the  devil  and  Satan.  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  in 
heaven,  saying:  Now  is  come  salvation  and  strength,  and 
the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ. 
Therefore  rejoice,  O  heavens,  and  you  that  dwell  therein. 
And  the  dragon  was  angry  against  the  woman  :  and  went 
to  make  war  with  the  rest  of  her  seed  ”  (Apoc.  xii. 
passim). 

Thus  was  the  woman  with  twelve  stars  about  her  head 
and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  as  she  has  from  the  earliest 
days  of  Christianity  been  represented  in  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  a  source  of  joy  for  the  good  and  of  terror 
for  the  evil,  even  in  her  remote  predestination.  How 
much  more  heartfelt  then  was  the  shout  of  joy  through¬ 
out  the  vaults  of  heaven  and  in  the  very  souls  of  its 
happy  inhabitants  when  this  queen  appeared  in  reality 
of  existence  !  We  can  imagine  the  angels  calling  to  each 
other  :  “  Who  is  she  that  cometh  forth  as  the  morning 
rising,  fair  as  the  moon,  bright  as  the  sun,  terrible  as  an 
army  set  in  array  ?”  (Cant.  vi.  9.) 

For  the  rejected  and  condemned  spirits,  this  same  in¬ 
nocent  child  was  terrible  as  an  army  set  in  array.  Their 
widespread  dominion,  which,  with  falsehood  and  deceit, 
they  had  setup  among  men,  was  now  about  to  crumble  to 
ruins  ;  for  she  had  at  last  appeared  who  was  to  crush  the 
serpent’s  head. 


Ihe  Immaculate  Conceptio?i  Occasions  Joy. 

JOY  ON  EARTH. 


49 


But  men  on  earth  had  still  greater  cause  to  rejoice  at 
the  conception  of  the  Redeemer’s  Mother.  For  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  He  sent  His  only  begotten,  His  well 
beloved  Son  into  the  world  (John  iii.  16),  and  for  Him 
prepared  a  worthy  mother  in  the  person  of  Mary,  and 
for  men  a  powerful  intercessor  and  a  sublime  image  and 
model.  But  alas  !  the  world  lay  buried  in  darkness  and 
ignorance.  Men  busied  themselves  about  things  of  earth, 
and  gave  themselves  up  to  pleasures,  without  taking  time 
to  think  and  remember  that  their  almighty  Father  in 
heaven  was  watching  over  them,  studying  their  welfare, 
and  in  His  solicitude  for  the  salvation  of  their  immortal 
souls  was  perfecting  the  most  astounding  miracles.  But 
two  lowly  hearts  there  were  that  were  overflowing  with 
holy  joy — the  hearts  of  Joachim  and  Anne,  privileged 
parents  of  this  grace-crowned  child.  Who  can  expres- 
the  joy  that  thrilled  through  the  maternal  heart  of  St 
Anne  on  ascertaining  this  wonderful  conception  ?  Who 
can  tell  her  thoughts,  or  describe  her  humble  senti¬ 
ments  of  gratitude  to  God  ?  But,  although  this  heavenly 
jewel  was  concealed  from  the  eyes  of  men  and  remained 
as  yet  unsuspected  and  unknown  by  the  world,  it  was 
soon  to  appear  in  all  its  brilliancy  to  shed  the  light  of 
joy  and  comfort  over  that  world.  This  joy  shall  en¬ 
dure  for  all  time.  As  often  as  the  revolving  year  brings 
to  us  each  succeeding  eighth  day  of  December,  every 
Christian  heart  is  lifted  up  in  exaltation  of  joy  and  love 
at  the  remembrance  of  the  immaculate  conception  of 
our  Queen  and  Mother. 

4 


5° 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 


MARY’S  BIRTH 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE  DAWN. 


DURING  the  months  immediately  preceding  the  birth 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  the  happy  mother,  St.  Anne, 
experienced  a  joy  akin  to  the  joys  of  heaven,  and  gathered 
grace  from  the  heavenly  fruit  which  she  contained  within 
her  breast.  Her  whole  soul  was  gently  agitated  by  the 
mysterious  operation  of  divine  grace.  From  time  to  time, 
during  fervent  prayer,  she  was  wrapt  into  ecstasy,  in  which 
she  saw  plainly  the  glory  of  the  new  Eve  who  was  soon 
to  appear  on  earth.  From  day  to  day  her  gratitude  grew 
more  heartfelt  and  her  joy  more  intense,  because,  being 
enlightened  by  heavenly  light,  she  learned  from  day  to 
day  to  appreciate  more  fully  the  inestimable  value,  the 
unspeakable  holiness,  and  the  abundant  graces  of  her  privi¬ 
leged  daughter.  With  a  holy  impatience  she  longed  for 
the  time  when  she  would  be  permitted  to  gaze  upon  and 
to  venerate  that  child,  whose  birth,  whose  name,  and 
whose  sublime  destiny  had  been  announced  by  an  angel 
of  God  to  herself  and  St.  Joachim.  Every  day  she  offered 
this  treasure  of  her  heart  to  the  Most  High,  and  praised 
the  condescension  of  that  God  who  had  at  last  heard  the 
sighs  and  seen  the  tears  of  Israel ;  and  who  at  last  had 
permitted  to  appear  that  bright  morning  star  of  salvation, 
which  was  to  herald  the  glorious  rising  of  the  Sun  of 
eternal  justice. 

Holy,  happy  mother,  St.  Anne !  pray  before  the 
throne  of  God  that  all  Christian  mothers  may  imitate 


a- 


Marys  Birth.  5 1 

thy  example  during  the  anxious,  trying  months  of  their 
expectation.  Permit  them  not  to  give  themselves  up, 
during  that  sacred  period  of  their  maternal  life  to  the 
pleasures,  vanities,  or  passions  of  the  world.  Direct 
their  thoughts  to  their  maternal  dignity,  to  their  motherly 
duties,  and  to  their  almighty  Creator.  Teach  them  that 
from  the  first  moment  of  conception,  they  have  to  dis¬ 
charge  high  and  holy  duties  towards  the  being  sent  by 
heaven  to  their  keeping.  Remind  them  that  during  these 
days,  when  they  form,  as  it  were,  but  one  being  and  have 
but  one  and  the  same  life  with  their  precious  treasure, 
every  thought,  noble  or  base,  every  sentiment,  holy  or 
wicked,  every  emotion,  charitable  or  envious,  that  dwells 
in  their  hearts,  exerts  its  influence  for  good  or  bad  on 
the  disposition  of  the  child  within  their  womb.  Holy  St. 
Anne,  make  clear  to  every  Christian  mother  the  infinite 
value  of  the  immortal  soul  of  her  child,  a  soul  that  from 
the  earliest  moment  of  its  existence  becomes  a  special 
object  of  God’s  fatherly  care  and  love !  Teach  and 
guide  and  guard  all  Christian  mothers.  Animate  them 
daily  and  hourly  with  pious  sentiments,  and  with  an 
ardent  desire  to  see  and  have  their  offspring  baptized. 
Keep  away  from  them,  holy  mother  Anne,  all  undue  and 
excessive  anxiety  about  the  future,  all  fears  of  the  com¬ 
ing  pains  of  child-birth.  Give  them  hope  and  courage. 
Obtain  for  them  confidence  and  reliance  on  the  unfailing 
assistance  of  God,  and  on  the  help  and  intercession  of 
thyself  and  of  thy  immaculate  daughter. 

SUNRISE. 

The  day  foreshadowed  from  all  eternity,  the  birth  of 
the  Mother  of  the  world’s  Redeemer,  had  at  last  dawned. 
An  air  of  solemnity  prevailed  through  the  home  of 
St.  Joachim  and  pervaded  the  breasts  of  all  the  inmates. 


52 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 


The  few  women  who  composed  the  circle  of  their  friends 
and  acquaintances  were  notified  of  the  approaching  hour, 
and  came  to  render  assistance  and  offer  congratulations 
to  the  happy  mother. 

It  was  the  eighth  day  of  the  Harvest  Month,  in  the 
year  of  the  world  5184,  and  733  years  after  the  founding 
of  Rome. 

It  was  the  anniversary  day  of  the  dedication  of  Solo¬ 
mon’s  temple.  This  last  coincidence  was  not  without  its 
mysterious  meaning,  for  now  the  pure  and  living  temple 
of  the  Blessed  Trinity  was  to  rise  in  beauty  of  form  and 
proportion  before  the  admiring  gaze  of  happy  men.* 

The  cradle  of  the  Queen  of  angels  was  not  inlaid  with 
silver  and  gold,  nor  upholstered  with  precious  hangings 
from  Egypt,  nor  did  it  radiate  perfume  of  aloe  and  myrrh 
as  did  the  cradle  of  many  another  Hebrew  babe.  It  was 
constructed  of  flexible  wickers  plaited  together.  Coarse 
bands  of  plain  swaddling-clothes  enveloped  the  tender 
arms  that  were  to  carry  the  world’s  Redeemer.  Who  can 
tell  us  of  the  many  favors  bestowed  by  God  on  this  happy 
occasion  ?  Who  can  describe  the  many  signs  of  heaven’s 
pleasure? — whether  the  room  of  the  saintly  mother,  St. 
Anne,  was  illuminated  by  a  miraculous  shining  light  in 
that  hour  of  grace,  or  whether  angels  from  heaven,  in 
celestial  strains,  yet  inaudible  and  unintelligible  to  human 
ears,  sang  of  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  their  new-born 
Queen  ? 

It  is  certain,  however,  that  the  effulgence  of  heaven’s 

*  “  From  a  statement  found  in  the  writings  of  St.  John  Dama¬ 
scene,  and  from  the  generally  accepted  tradition  prevailing  to  this 
day  in  Palestine,  many  writers  aver  that  Mary  was  born,  not  in 
Nazareth,  but  in  a  house  belonging  to  St.  Joachim  in  the  city  of 
Jerusalem.  In  the  latter  place,  a  sumptuous  church  was  built  in 
very  early  times  to  the  honor  of  St.  Anne.”  (D.  Wolff,  “Jerusalem,” 
1872.) 


Mary's  Birth. 


53 


benedictions,  a  consciousness  of  the  blessing  of  God  pen¬ 
etrated  the  darkness  of  that  memorable  night  and  lit  up 
the  privileged  room  where  Mary  was  born.  We  may  well 
believe  that  angels  in  holy  joy  and  happy  eagerness,  in¬ 
visible  though  they  were,  hastened  to  salute  this  blessed 
infant  and  to  offer  her  their  protection. 

GREETINGS. 

Come,  Christian  reader,  hasten  to  salute  the  newly 
born  Mother  of  God.  In  childlike  accents  and  with  child¬ 
like  simplicity .  say  to  this  babe  that  is  destined  to  be 
your  Queen  and  Advocate  :  Hail,  beauteous  child  of  love 
and  grace  !  In  all  humility  of  heart,  I  bow  down  before 
thee  and  offer '  thee,  as  best  I  can,  the  honor  to  which 
thou  art  entitled.  All  hail,  daughter  of  God  the  Father; 
all  hail,  Mother  of  God  the  Son ;  all  hail,  spouse  of  the 
Holy  Ghost !  From  the  depths  of  my  soul,  I  bid  thee 
welcome.  In  the  name  of  all  my  fellow-creatures,  I 
salute  and  honor  thee.  Blessed  be  thy  coming  into  the 
world  !  Blessed,  thrice  blessed,  be  our  good  and  merciful 
God,  who  has  sent  thee  upon  earth  to  be  the  comfort  and 
help  of  sinners !  I  believe  firmly,  royal  child,  that  thou 
wilt  give  birth  to  the  Saviour  of  men,  and  wilt  crush  the 
serpent’s  head.  Oh,  that  I  knew  how  to  honor  thee 
worthily,  and  to  offer  to  thee  the  deep  devotion  of  my  heart ! 
Obtain  for  me  pardon  for  my  sins.  Let  the  sweet  fra¬ 
grance  of  thy  countless  virtues  neutralize  the  offensive  odor 
of  my  misdeeds.  Child  of  benediction,  thou  who  by  thy 
birth  hast  prepared  the  world  for  dawning  happiness, 
awake  within  me  a  true  love  and  devotion  to  thy  Son. 
Obtain  for  me  the  grace  to  be  born  over  again,  and  thus 
be  enabled  to  serve  with  renewed  and  increased  zeal  thy 
adorable  Creator  and  my  own. 

Parents  have  cause  and  a  right  to  rejoice  when  heaven, 


54  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

sends  them  their  first  offspring ;  especially  if  it  is  a  child 
of  prayer  and  of  pious  and  ardent  longing.  The  mother 
especially  forgets  her  previous  pains  and  anxiety,  for 
this  child  is  her  own  property,  her  first  and  most  precious 
treasure.  And  if  with  maternal  dignity  the  mother  combines 
maternal  piety,  she  beholds  in  this  sweet  little  creature  a 
beloved  gift  from  the  hands  of  the  Creator,  an  immortal 
good  entrusted  to  her  by  heaven,  a  child  of  God,  at  once 
capable  and  destined  to  know  Him,  love  Him,  and  one 
day  to  possess  Him,  and  enjoy  His  divine  presence  face 
to  face. 

Howr  entranced  with  delight,  then,  must  such  a  mother 
as  St.  Anne  have  been  when  she  found  herself  mother  of 
such  a  child  as  Mary  !  The  child  that  our  beloved  saint 
held  in  her  arms  had  before  her  a  glorious  future.  The 
mother’s  heart  knew  this  instinctively.  Like  every  other 
mother’s  heart,  St.  Anne’s  loved  to  foresee  and  to  dwell 
upon  the  future  happiness  in  store  for  her  infant  offspring. 
She  believed  that  the  child  would  grow  up  in  piety  and 
goodness  and  beauty  of  person,  and  be  the  hope  of  earth 
and  the  delight  of  heaven.  But  what  human  being,  what 
earthly  mother  ever  lived,  whose  joy  was  not  clouded, 
not  alloyed  with  fear  and  trepidation  for  the  future  ?  St. 
Anne,  severely  tried  as  she  had  been,  foresaw,  amid  the 
bright  sunshine  of  Mary’s  life,  the  spectre  of  a  dreadful 
sword  dangling  in  the  air  and  pointing  mysteriously  to¬ 
wards  the  Virgin’s  heart.  St.  Anne,  with  a  mother’s  un¬ 
failing  instinct,  felt  by  anticipation  the  anguish  and  des¬ 
olation  that  would  one  day  weigh  down  and  well-nigh 
crush  this  child,  beloved  by  God. 

O  mother  rich  in  graces,  holy  St.  Anne !  I  salute  and 
congratulate  thee  upon  thy  maternal  dignity,  upon  thy 
happy  and  significant  delivery.  Be  thou  honored  among 
mothers,  for  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb,  Mary. 

That  thou  be  honored  and  imitated  by  all  our  Christian 


The  Christian  Mother  at  Mary's  Cradle. 


55 


mothers,  is  the  fondest  wish  of  my  heart.  Beloved  and 
venerable  matron,  St.  Anne,  share  with  me  thy  super¬ 
abundant  graces.  May  they  flow  from  heaven  upon  me. 
and,  like  the  morning  dew  upon  the  plant  and  fruit,  may 
they  foster  in  my  heart  the  fragrance  of  a  true  and  undy¬ 
ing  love  for  God  my  Father. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  MOTHER  AT  MARY’S  CRADLE. 

WOULD  that  I  were  permitted  to  summon  all  our 
Christian  mothers  around  the  cradle  of  the  most 
beloved  and  most  beautiful  infant  daughter  of  the  human 
family  ! 


MOTHER. 

Next  to  the  name  of  God,  the  sacred  word  mother 
is,  in  every  language  of  man,  the  sweetest  word  of  all. 
It  is  that  consecrated  word  which  our  heart  pulsates, 
before  our  lips  can  articulate  a  sound.  Its  memory 
follows  us  through  all  the  storms  of  life’s  long  journey, 
and  lingers  in  our  hearts  like  a  gleam  of  sunshine  that 
no  cloud  can  obscure.  Nowhere  else  on  earth  does 
human  love  manifest  itself  to  such  advantage,  as  in  the 
character  of  a  Christian  mother.  Its  most  fascinating 
smile  beams  from  a  mother’s  countenance.  Its  richest 
treasures  are  deposited  in  a  mother’s  heart.  When  we 
reposed  beneath  this  heart,  even  before  our  birth,  its 
tender  throb  communicated  to  us  the  first  impulse  of  our 
foetal  life.  When  she  took  us,  for  the  first  time,  in  her 
fond  arms,  and  with  enchanted  eye  gazed  upon  us,  and 


The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 


56 

saw  in  us  the  image  of  herself,  she  felt  and  understood 
the  powerful,  secret  bond  that  chained  her  to  her  off¬ 
spring.  She  understood  that  this  precious,  tender  being 
resting  on  her  arms  could  live  only  by  virtue  of  her  love, 
and  grow  and  thrive  only  by  virtue  of  her  future  self- 
sacrifice.  From  the  impulses  of  her  own  heart,  from  the 
innocent  helplessness  of  her  child,  and  from  the  mystic 
union  existing  between  herself  and  it,  she  learned  that 
for  the  rest  of  her  days  a  sacred  disinterested  love  was 
to  be  the  law  of  her  life.  The  duty  and  right  of  watching 
over  the  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of  her  offspring 
was  to  be  for  her  at  once  an  unfailing  fountain  of  happi¬ 
ness,  and  yet  an  inexhaustible  source  of  suffering  and 
anxiety. 

To  the  mother  has  been  entrusted  by  heaven  the  sacred 
and  arduous  duty  of  a  visible  angel  watching  at  the  cradle 
of  her  child.  To  no  higher  purpose  can  she  devote  her 
hours  of  waking  and  sleeping. 

Christian  mother,  your  duties  are  arduous.  Flowers 
bloom  only  at  the  expense  of  the  gardener’s  care,  they 
thrive  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  So,  too,  does  your 
child  grow  and  thrive  only  at  the  cost  of  your  time,  labor,, 
and,  perhaps,  tears.  Happy  the  mother  who  has  suffered, 
and  suffered  keenly,  for  the  sake  of  her  offspring.  Happy 
the  mother  who  has  shed  tears,  whether  of  joy  or  sorrow, 
over  her  children.  Prayerful  tears  it  is  that  moisten  and 
fertilize  the  young  heart,  as  the  dews  from  heaven  bring 
forth,  freshen,  and  beautify  the  flowers. 

Suffering  and  sacrifice  win  for  every  mother  an  exalted 
position  in  the  family,  a  sublime  place  in  the  estimation 
of  all  good  men.  According  to  our  views,  disinterested 
self-sacrifice  takes  the  most  exalted  position  :  it  stands 
higher  than  power  or  dignity,  wealth  or  influence.  This 
most  exalted  degree  of  self-sacrifice  is  reached  and  pos¬ 
sessed  by  every  mother  who  prays  and  watches  and  cares 


The  Christian  Mother  at  Mary's  Cradle.  57 

by  the  cradle  of  her  child,  at  a  time  when  that  child  is 
unconscious  of  a  mother’s  care,  a  mother’s  love,  a  mother’s 
pains,  and  can  hardly  recognize  its  mother’s  presence 
save  by  a  half-conscious  smile  of  innocence. 

MOTHER  AND  CHILD. 

It  falls  generally  to  the  mother’s  lot  to  train  the  child. 
This  certainly  is  not  the  least  important  among  her  other 
heavy  obligations.  Not  every  mother  has  so  amiable  a 
child  to  bring  up  as  had  St.  Anne — a  child  conceived 
without  original  sin.  On  the  contrary,  the  training  of  all 
children  is  much  impeded  and  often  spoiled  from  the 
fact  that  in  the  little  darling  the  consequences  of  origi¬ 
nal  sin  soon  manifest  themselves  to  an  alarming  degree, 
and  often  with  a  semblance  of  loveliness.  Beware,  Chris¬ 
tian  mother,  lest  you  permit  the  evil  inclinations,  so  secretly 
lurking  in  your  child’s  disposition,  to  grow  strong  and 
stubborn.  If  you  do,  that  which  should  be  a  garden  of 
fair  flowers  will  become  a  field  of  stubble,  overgrown  with 
thorns  and  thistles.  Alas  for  that  mother,  whose  tender 
love  goes  to  such  an  undue  degree  as  to  fear  the  tears 
forced  from  her  child  when  punished  for  untoward  whims  ! 
Alas  for  that  mother,  who,  by  over-indulgence  and  foolish 
admiration  for  her  child,  soon  leads  this  little  tyrant  to 
hold  the  same  opinion  of  itself,  and  to  believe  itself  to 
be  a  wonder  !  A  child  must  not  be  made  a  plaything  of. 
It  has  rights  and  duties.  But  it  must  first  of  all,  and  above 
all,  know  its  duties,  before  it  hears  mention  made  of  its 
rights.  In  earliest  childhood  must  the  boy  or  the  girl 
learn  to  control  the  will  and  submit  to  older  persons. 
When  the  child  is  wayward,  when  stubborn  and  bent  upon 
following  its  own  inclinations,  if  it  be  then  flattered  and 
petted  and  coaxed,  that  child  will  soon  become  a  little 
despot  in  its  mother’s  home,  and  later  prove  a  tyrant  to 


S3  The  Coming  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

trample  on  the  tenderest  feelings  of  both  father  and 
mother.  Holy  Scripture  teaches  that  the  whelp  becomes 
a  lion  and  learns  to  devour  men.  (Ezech.  ix.  3.) 

TRUE  MATERNAL  LOVE. 

In  order  that  mothers  may  be  enabled  to  discharge  with 
tact,  perseverance,  and  happy  effect  their  sublime  and 
disinterested  duties,  God,  the  great  Parent  of  all,  has  en¬ 
dowed  them  with  a  twofold  and  very  efficient  quality  ; 
namely,  maternal  love  mingled  with  piety.  The  mother 
loves  her  offspring  with  such  an  intense  love,  that  in  com¬ 
parison  with  it  the  child’s  love  entirely  disappears.  Deep 
and  earnest  as  is  a  father’s  love,  it  is  lukewarm  and  fleet¬ 
ing  in  comparison  with  a  mother’s  love.  When  his  child 
dies,  the  father  sheds  silent  bitter  tears,  but  time  dries 
them  up  and  heals  the  deep  wound  in  his  heart.  But  the 
child’s  death  leaves  in  the  mother’s  heart  a  wound  that 
never  heals.  In  her  lonely  hours,  she  stands  in  spirit  by 
the  grave  of  her  little  one,  and  sheds  tears,  years  after¬ 
wards,  fresh  and  bitter  as  on  the  burial  day. 

Without  parallel  in  creation  is  the  force  of  mother’s  love. 
It  knows  no  reflection,  will  listen  to  no  reason.  It  trans¬ 
forms  pain  into  a  pleasure.  It  turns  grief  into  joy  and 
works  miracles,  unconsciously.  It  never  weakens  nor  turns 
away.  Time  cannot  extinguish  it,  age  cannot  cool  it. 

True,  there  are  many  mothers  who  in  the  fulness  of  their 
natural  love  resemble  the  holy  mother  St.  Anne.  Would 
that  they  resembled  her  also  in  her  supernatural  love  for 
God,  in  piety.  As  the  germ  of  love  has  been  planted,  by 
the  creating  hand  of  God  more  deeply  in  the  heart  of 
woman  than  in  the  heart  of  man,  so  too  is  piety  more 
deeply  seated  in  woman’s  soul.  When  woman  assumes 
the  burden  and  dignity  of  motherhood,  this  feminine 
piety  receives  a  new  sacredness,  a  new  lustre,  a  new  sub- 


7he  Christia?i  Mother  at  Mary’s  Cradle.  59 

ject,  a  new  fire.  We  can  conceive  and  picture  to  ourselves, 
unpleasant  though  it  be,  an  excessively  worldly  woman,  an 
indolent,  silly,  selfish,  conceited,  and  even  sensual,  woman, 
But  a  worldly  mother,  an  indolent,  silly,  conceited,  selfish, 
and  proud  mother, — such  a  thing  would  be  a  monstros¬ 
ity.  Unless  a  mother  sanctifies  her  love  by  that  eternal 
love  whereby  the  world  was  redeemed,  she  will  simply  be 
reproduced  in  her  child  who  will  reflect  herself,  and  in 
loving  that  child,  the  mother  will  love  only  herself,  her 
picture  and  substance;  she  will  look  upon  her  maternal 
duties  as  a  burden,  and  find  them  irksome  and  exhausting. 
She  will  not  understand  how  to  be  happy  in  the  midst  of 
her  children,  nor  how  to  render  them  happy.  A  mother 
who  yearns  for  the  triumphs  of  vanity  is  incapable  of 
sharing  the  joys  of  her  little  ones,  or  to  prepare  amuse¬ 
ments  for  them.  In  her  wandering  imagination,  her  mind 
and  heart  will  be  constantly  roaming  beyond  the  tedious 
precincts  of  her  domestic  sphere.  What  value  in  the 
eyes  of  a  woman  have  the  noble  impulses  of  motherhood, 
or  the  fond  playfulness  of  children,  if  that  woman  is  con¬ 
stantly  seeking  pleasure  outside  of  her  own  house,  look¬ 
ing  for  triumphs  and  conquests  of  wit  and  beauty  in  the 
whirl  of  so-called  fashionable  society  ?  Such  a  woman, 
and  only  such  a  one,  is  capable  of  neglecting  her  children 
and  forgetting  them,  just  as  she  forgets  and  neglects  her 
own  maternal  duty  and  dignity.  Like  a  heartless  step¬ 
mother,  such  a  woman  would  entrust  the  jewel  placed 
in  her  keeping  by  God  to  the  careless,  sordid  hands  of  a 
hired  nurse,  in  order  that  she  herself  may  thus  be  enabled 
to  hasten  to  scenes  of  frivolity  and  dissipation,  there  to 
cast  down  her  crown  of  maternal  laurels  at  the  feet  of  a 
giddy,  laughing  world. 


/ 


PART  II. 

MARY  IS  MADE  WORTHY  TO  BECOME  THE 
MOTHER  OF  GOD. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  RECEIVES  THE  NAME  OF 

MARY. 

MARY. 

NAME  replete  with  joy,  full  of  grace,  teeming  with 
love,  redolent  of  sacrifice  !  Thanks  to  Thee,  O  God 
eternal,  for  having  chosen  for  and  given  to  Thy  Mother 
and  our  advocate  a  name  so  fraught  with  unfailing  con¬ 
solation  for  us.  It  is  a  great  glory,  and  one  peculiar  to 
the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  that  the  Father  gave  Him  a 
name  which  is  above  all  other  names ;  for  at  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  shall  bend  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and 
under  the  earth.  (Phil.  ii.  9.) 

Now  as  the  ever-blessed  Mother  of  God  is,  after  God 
Himself,  the  most  perfect  and  purest  being  and  most  de¬ 
serving  of  respect,  so  the  holiest  and  loveliest  and  most 
powerful  name,  after  the  name  of  Jesus,  is  eminently  due 
and  becoming  to  her.  As  not  only  the  holy  name  of 
Jesus  was  brought  from  heaven  by  the  archangel  Gabriel, 
but  also  the  name  of  Jesus’  precursor,  John,  so  is  it  highly 
probable  that  to  the  favored  daughter  of  St.  Anne  was 
sent,  by  God’s  command  and  through  the  angel’s  ministry, 
the  beloved  name  of  Mary. 

60 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Receives  the  Name  of  Mary .  61 

Eight  days  after  the  birth  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  there 
was  a  religious  and  social  festival  in  the  home  of  Joachim 
and  Anne.  It  was  customary  among  the  Jews  to  give  a 
name  to  the  newly  born  infant  on  the  eighth  day  after  its 
birth.  This  event  was  attended  with  many  ceremonies 
and  accompanied  by  many  prayers.  On  the  present  oc¬ 
casion,  the  assembled  friends  and  relatives  may  have  sug¬ 
gested  to  Mary’s  parents  several  names  for  the  child, 
chosen  from  the  names  of  their  numerous  and  respected 
ancestry.  Such  was  done  at  the  naming  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist.  But  now  the  parents,  Joachim  and  Anne,  as  did 
then  Elizabeth  and  Zachary,  cut  short  all  these  friendly 
suggestions  by  declaring  jointly,  “  Mary  is  her  name.” 

MEANING  OF  THE  NAME. 

What  meaning  in  the  name  of  Mary  !  It  must  be  of  deep 
significance,  it  must  be  holy  and  lovely,  given  as  it  was 
by  the  Most  High  Himself  to  the  grace-abounding,  im¬ 
maculate  Mother  of  God  and  Queen  of  heaven  and  earth. 
Sacred  writers  discover  five  profound  meanings  in  this 
holy  name  of  Mary. 

In  the  first  place,  St.  John  Damascene  tells  us  it  means 
woman .  Mary  was  in  the  highest,  deepest,  fullest,  and 
most  exalted  sense  a  woman.  She  was  maid  and 
matron  at  one  and  the  same  time.  In  her  were  conspic¬ 
uous,  to  the  most  sublime  degree,  all  the  virtues,  all  the 
influence  of  woman.  Hence  every  true  Christian  from 
time  immemorial  greets  her  in  the  beautiful  prayer,  “We 
fly  to  thy  patronage,  O  holy  Mother  of  God,  despise  not 
our  petitions  in  our  necessities,  but  deliver  us  from  all 
dangers,  O  ever-glorious  and  blessed  Virgin  !  ”  She  has 
ever  been  styled  Virgin,  Maid  of  Nazareth,  our  Lady,  our 
Intercessor  and  Mediatrix.  Indeed,  there  can  hardly  be 
found  a  more  available  term  to  express  what  Mary  is  to 
us,  than  the  simple  title,  “  Our  blessed  Lady.” 


62  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

In  the  second  place,  the  name  of  Mary  signifies  mistress , 
lady ,  and  ruler  or  queen.  From  the  first  moment  of  her 
existence,  Mary  was  a  mistress,  a  queen,  and  a  ruler  over 
Satan,  whose  head  she  crushed.  She  was  a  mistress  over 
sin  ;  for  never  could  it  enter  with  its  allurements  and  its 
curse  into  her  sin-proof  soul.  Moreover,  what  a  domin¬ 
ion  as  mistress  Mary  exercised,  when  she  commanded 
the  Son  of  God  Himself.  The  holy  Gospel  relates  the 
whole  history  of  Jesus’  youthful  life,  from  the  age  of 
twelve  till  the  time  of  His  going  out  on  His  mission,  in 
the  few  brief  words,  “  He  was  subject  to  them.”  Can  there 
be  a  greater  or  a  more  gracious  and  graceful  dominion  of 
mistress  than  that  exercised  by  her  over  the  infinite 
Master  of  heaven  and  earth  ?  Mary  is  also  mistress  and 
queen  of  angels  and  of  men.  She  is  the  Queen  of  angels, 
the  Mother,  the  refuge,  the  grace-dispenser  of  men.  Her 
name,  her  words,  her  history,  her  pains  and  sorrows,  all 
that  recalls  Mary  to  our  memories,  exercises  a  mysterious 
and  powerful  influence  all  over  the  earth  and  for  all  time. 
Where  Jesus  Christ  reigns  and  is  beloved,  there  Mary 
reigns,  there  too  she  is  beloved.  In  the  third  place, 
Mary  means  Star  of  the  Sea.  St.  Bonaventure  teaches 
that  she  is  a  Star,  by  reason  of  her  rare  purity,  which  was 
only  increased  by  the  birth  of  the  Divine  Word,  who,  like 
a  ray  of  light  from  a  star,  was  radiated  from  her  person, 
without  depriving  her  of  the  light  of  purity,  or  even  les¬ 
sening  it.  She  is  a  star  because  of  her  rare  beauty  and 
the  incomparable  courage  obtained  through  her  light  by 
all  who  apply  to  her  when  tossed  about  in  danger  on  the 
stormy  sea  of  this  life.  (Specul.  c.  3.) 

Here,  Christian  reader,  let  us  together  meditate  anew 
on  those  well-known  words  of  St.  Bernard  concerning  the 
name  of  Mary,  and  which  have  so  often  and  so  powerfully 
moved  your  heart  as  well  as  mine  :  “  O  sinner,  when  the 
floods  and  tempests  of  this  earthly  life  overwhelm  thee, 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Receives  the  Name  of  Mary.  63 

so  that  thou  canst  not  firmly  set  thy  foot,  turn  not  away 
thy  gaze  from  the  light  of  this  guiding  star.  When  the 
storms  of  temptation  assail  thee,  and  the  rocks  and  quick¬ 
sands  of  vexation  and  trial  threaten  to  shatter  thy  bark  of 
hope,  look  up  to  that  bright  star  in  the  heavens  and  call 
on  the  name  of  Mary.  When  the  turgid  billows  of  pride 
and  of  ambition,  when  the  floods  of  calumny,  are  about  to 
submerge  thee,  look  up  to  this  star  and  call  the  name  of 
Mary.  When  anger,  avarice,  concupiscence  convulse  the 
peace  of  thy  soul,  look  up  to  this  star  and  call  on  Mary. 
When  thy  sins  rise  up  like  hideous  monsters  before  thy 
troubled  vision,  when  thy  conscience  stings  thee,  when 
the  terrors  of  future  judgment  fill  thee  with  deadly 
anguish,  when  gloom  and  sadness  overpower  thee,  when 
thou  findest  thyself  on  the  brink  of  hellish  despair,  take 
courage,  think  on  Mary,  and  thou  wilt  find  from  thy  own 
inward  experience  how  true  are  the  sayings  of  those  who 
tell  thee  that  the  name  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  ‘  Star  of 
the  Sea,’  the  name  of  the  Virgin  is  Mary.”  (Luke  i.  27*, 
S.  Bern.  Serm.  2,  sup.  Missus  est.,  etc.) 

In  the  fourth  place,  the  name  of  Mary  signifies,  besides 
Star  of  the  Sea,  “  ocean  of  bitterness .” 

It  means  sea  or  ocean,  by  reason  of  those  floods  of 
grace  which  a  bountiful  God  has  sent  upon  the  Virgin 
“  full  of  grace.”  It  means  ocean  of  bitterness  because 
she  is  the  sorrowing  Mother  full  of  bitter  affliction.  With 
even  more  truth  than  could  even  the  pious  mother-in-law 
of  Ruth,  may  Mary  say,  “  Call  me  not  Noemi  (that  is, 
beautiful),  but  call  me  Mara  (that  is,  bitter),  for  the 
Almighty  hath  quite  filled  me  with  bitterness  ”  (Ruth 
i.  20).  It  means  also  sea  of  bitterness,  for  she  prepared 
a  flood  of  destruction  for  the  evil  spirits,  as  the  Egyptians 
of  old  were  overtaken  and  destroyed  by  the  floods  of  the 
Red  Sea,  when  in  pursuit  of  God’s  Chosen  People.  With 
appropriate  significance  does  the  Venerable  Albertus 


64  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

Magnus  write,  when  he  tells  us  :  “  When  you  feel  your¬ 
selves  so  far  led  away  by  the  allurements  of  sin  as  to  be 
on  the  point  of  yielding  to  passion,  launch  yourself  without 
delay  into  this  ocean  of  bitterness,  pronounce  this  sacred 
name,  and  you  will  most  certainly  discover,  from  you! 
immediate  experience,  that  she  does  not  bear  the  name 
of  Mary  in  vain.”  ( Comment .  on  Luke,  c.  i.) 

In  the  fifth  place,  the  name  of  Mary  signifies,  with 
much  exactness,  the  illuminated  and  the  illuminator. 
Mary  illuminates  the  whole  world  by  her  sublime  ex¬ 
ample,  by  the  miracles  of  her  mercy,  and  by  the  bright¬ 
ness  of  her  glory.  As  in  the  olden  time  the  children  of 
Israel,  when  flying  from  Egyptian  bondage,  were  guided 
and  accompanied  by  a  miraculous  guide,  which  assumed 
by  day  the  form  of  a  cloud,  in  order  to  shelter  them  from 
the  scorching  heat  of  the  sun,  and  by  night  the  form  of  a 
pillar  of  fire,  in  order  to  light  up  their  path  through  the 
wilderness,  so  is  Mary  a  miraculous  pillar  that  screens  us 
from  the  heat  of  divine  wrath,  and  at  the  same  time  en¬ 
lightens  and  guides  our  uncertain  footsteps  through  the 
bewildering  mazes  of  the  way  to  eternal  salvation.  What 
could  we  do  in  this  vast  wilderness  of  the  world,  miser¬ 
able  creatures  that  we  are,  and  buried  in  darkness  of  sin, 
if  we  had  not  this  brilliant  light,  this  guiding  pillar  of 
mingled  cloud  and  brightness  ?  Take  our  sun  away,  and 
what  will  become  of  the  world  ?  Take  Mary  away  from 
our  ascetic  life,  and  what  will  remain  but  an  impenetrable 
darkness,  a  shadow  of  death,  a  gloom  concealing  all  hope 
and  comfort  ? 

HOLINESS  OF  THE  NAME  OF  MARY. 

Christian  reader,  is  not  your  heart  filled  with  rever¬ 
ential  awe,  and  yet  with  deep-seated  confidence  and 
hope,  when  you  contemplate  closely  these  meanings  of 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Receives  the  Name  of  Mary ,  65 

the  holy  name  of  Mary  ?  Yes,  her  very  name  serves 
to  remind  you  at  once  of  her  power  and  of  her  gentle¬ 
ness.  It  is,  indeed,  next  to  the  holy  and  adorable 
name  of  Jesus,  her  Son,  the  most  efficient.  Our  blessed 
Lord  once  uttered  the  assuring  promise  :  “  Amen,  amen, 
I  say  to  you  :  if  you  ask  the  Father  anything  in  My  name 
He  will  give  it  you.”  (John  xvi.  23.)  May  we  not  fondly 
and  piously  hope  that,  as  Jesus  loved  His  Mother  so 
tenderly,  He  would  have  said  also  to  the  poor  suppliants 
of  earth  :  “  Verily,  verily,  I  say  to  you,  whatsoever  you  ask 
Me  for  in  My  Mother’s  name,  that  will  I  give  you.”  In¬ 
deed,  the  renowned  archbishop,  St.  Anselm,  asserts  and 
maintains  something  apparently  incredible  when  he 
states  :  “  Salvation  and  security  will  often  come  to  us 

quicker  when  we  call  on  the  name  of  Mary,  than  when 
we  repeat  the  name  of  her  only  begotten  Child,  Our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Not,  of  course,  that  the  mother  is  greater 
or  mightier  than  her  Son,  nor  because  He  is  great  and 
mighty  through  her  (for  He  is  not,  of  course),  but  be¬ 
cause  she  is  great  and  mighty  through  Him.  On  the 
'contrary,  the  Son  is  rather  the  Lord  and  Master  of  all, 
who  distinguishes  and  discriminates  between  the  merits 
of  the  individual  suppliants.  When,  therefore,  He  does 
not  grant  a  petitioner  at  once,  when  calling  on  His  name, 
He  refuses  to  hearken  for  a  wise  purpose.  But  if  the 
salvation-seeker  call  upon  the  name  of  His  Mother,  then 
the  merits  and  power  of  the  mother  mediate  and  succeed  in 
securing  a  hearing,  even  when  the  petitioner’s  own  merits 
would  not  by  any  means  warrant  nor  merit  such  a  suc¬ 
cessful  hearing.”  (. Lih .  de  B.  Virg.  c.  vi.) 

THE  CHRISTENING  NAME  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  infant  daughter  of  St.  Anne, 
who  received  her  name  soon  after  birth,  so  to  every  child 
5 


66  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

born  of  Christian  parents  a  name  is  solemnly  given  dur¬ 
ing  the  administration  of  Baptism,  soon  after  the  child’s 
entrance  into  the  world.  A  profound  meaning  lies  hid¬ 
den  in  this  usage  of  the  Church.  The  child  is  thus  and 
then  provided  by  heaven  with  a  patron  saint,  who  is  to  be 
its  model  and  protector  for  life.  As  patron,  this  saint  is 
to  encourage,  warn,  and  guide  upon  the  road  of  salvation, 
the  growing  and  grown-up  Christian.  As  protector,  the 
saint,  by  virtue  of  his  merits  and  his  intercession  before 
the  throne  of  God,  is  to  sustain  his  foster-child  and  ward, 
to  strengthen  him  and  to  keep  him  from  sin ;  or,  if  he  fall 
into  sin,  to  bring  him  back  to  sorrow  and  repentance. 

Christian  reader,  resolve  to  venerate  and  to  love  with 
a  child’s  sincerity  the  name  of  your  holy  patron  saint. 
Resolve  to  observe  in  a  Christian  way  every  year  your 
patron  saint’s  name’s  day,  by  hearing  Mass  in  his  honor 
and,  if  possible,  receiving  the  sacraments.  Or  if  this  is 
not  possible  for  you  to  do,  keep  up  the  day  on  the  follow¬ 
ing  Sunday  or  on  the  next  feast  day  of  the  Church. 
Walk  in  a  path  worthy  of  your  holy  patron.  It  is  related 
that  the  famous  Alexander  the  Great  had  in  his  army  a 
soldier  whose  name  was  also  Alexander,  but  still  a  very 
coward  before  an  enemy.  One  day  the  king  said  to  him, 
“  Either  walk  and  live  in  a  manner  worthy  of  an  Alexan¬ 
der,  or  else  lay  aside  the  name.”  Beware  lest  you  should 
leave  it  in  the  power  of  your  patron  saint  in  heaven  to 
make  to  yourself  a  similar  rebuke  :  “  Either  live  worthy 
of  my  name  or  lay  it  aside.” 

Devout  Christian  reader,  should  it  be  your  happy  priv¬ 
ilege  to  have  received  in  holy  Baptism  or  afterwards  in 
Confirmation,  from  your  pious  parents  and  godfather  and 
godmother,  the  delightful  name  of  Mary,  I  congratulate 
you.  I  congratulate  you  on  your  happiness  in  having  for 
your  patroness  this  powerful  protector,  advocate,  and 
model.  It  is  a  sign  of  unspeakable  predilection  to  have 


The  Home  Education  of  the  Blessed  Virgin .  67 

the  Blessed  Virgin  for  one’s  name  patroness,  if  the  one 
who  bears  the  name  only  tries  to  become  worthy  of  it 
and  of  her.  But  so  much  the  more  are  you  bound  to 
sanctify  at  least  some  of  the  annual  festivals  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  by  devout  visits  to  the  church,  by  receiving  the 
holy  sacraments,  and  by  other  works  of  piety.  If  you  do 
this,  you  may  hope  to  enjoy  her  assistance  during  life 
and  in  the  hour  of  your  death.  For  it  is  believed 
among  all  men,  that  it  was  never  heard  of  for  one  who 
sought  refuge  under  her  protecting  arm  to  be  abandoned 
and  lost.  How  much,  therefore,  will  those  who  are  spe¬ 
cially  dedicated  to  her  service  and  who  bear  her  name  ex¬ 
perience  the  powerful  assistance  of  this  mighty  yet  gentle 
and  compassionate  patroness  ! 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  HOME  EDUCATION  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

NEW  LIFE. 

FROM  the  moment  that  Mary,  the  lovely  and  holy 
guest  from  heaven,  entered  the  quiet  home  of  Joa¬ 
chim  and  Anne,  it  assumed  even  more  plainly  than  before 
the  character  of  a  temple  of  God.  An  atmosphere  of 
peace,  love,  and  devotion  pervaded  its  every  part.  In  no 
other  atmosphere  could  this  tender  plant,  fresh  from  the 
garden  of  God,  thrive  and  bloom.  It  now  became  the 
pleasing  yet  arduous  duty  of  the  saintly  parents  to  teach 
and  train  their  child.  Where  can  we  find  words  sufficient 
to  describe  the  solicitude,  fondness,  and  reverence  with 
which  they  entered  upon  their  new  duties  ?  St.  Anne 


68  Mary  Worthy  to  he  the  Mother  of  God. 

never  grew  tired  looking  upon  the  angelic  countenance  of 
her  child.  When  she  would  caress  her  babe,  or  even 
look  upon  her,  her  motherly  heart  overflowed  with  a 
heavenlike  sweetness.  To  mention  even  the  name  of 
Mary  was  a  new  joy  to  St.  Anne’s  soul.  Often  when  she 
would  press  her  little  daughter  to  her  breast,  and  would 
think  of  the  future  awaiting  her,  with  its  wealth  of  bless¬ 
ings  and  its  store  of  sorrow,  the  fond  mother  would  shed 
tears  of  mingled  joy  and  grief  that  would  flow  down 
copiously  on  the  head  of  the  child.  When  Mary  slept, 
the  devoted  mother  would  kneel  by  her  bedside,  gaze 
with  wonder  upon  her  face,  and  then,  clasping  her  own 
hands  in  prayer,  would  bury  herself  in  deep  meditation 
on  the  wonderful  mercies  of  God. 

MARY  GROWS  IN  YEARS  AND  IN  GRACE. 

The  infant  virgin,  obeying  the  universal  law  of  our 
nature,  advanced  in  strength  and  size  of  body.  To  the 
delighted  parents  this  gradual,  steady  growth  was  of 
course  a  source  of  pride  and  satisfaction.  To  the  very 
angels,  too,  it  must  have  been  a  joyous  spectacle  to  see 
their  future  Queen  essaying,  at  the  guiding  hand  of  her 
mother,  to  accomplish  that  indispensable  early  feat  of 
man,  namely,  to  walk.  What  a  pleasure  to  see  the  timid 
child  venture  to  make,  alone  and  with  trembling  limbs 
her  first  few  steps,  and  then  fall  into  the  ever-ready  out¬ 
stretched  arms  of  the  delighted  mother  !  What  a  comfort 
when  the  little  one  prattled  for  the  first  time  into  the 
eager  ears  of  her  mother,  who  alone  could  understand 
it,  the  sweet  name  of  “  mother,”  and  soon  after  the  sacred 
name  of  “father  ”  !  Such  moments  are  regal  festivals  in 
every  truly  God-fearing  yet  God-loving  family. 

At  an  unusually  early  age  appeared  the  light  of  God’s 
grace  and  wisdom,  for  by  virtue  of  her  immaculate  con¬ 
ception  these  qualities  abounded  in  the  soul  of  the  future 


The  Home  Education  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  69 

Mother  of  God.  The  saintly  parents  were  astonished 
when  they  discovered  these  qualities  manifesting  them¬ 
selves.  They  wrere  delighted  to  see  how  soon  she  had 
learned  to  fold  her  hands  and,  with  angelic  beauty  and 
simplicity,  pray  with  childish,  yet  serious  and  intelligent 
devotion.  A  charming  gentleness,  a  holy  earnestness,  an 
amiable  docility,  were  gradually,  steadily,  and  rapidly  de¬ 
veloped  in  her  character.  Though  she  was  childlike,  she 
was  not  childish.  At  an  age  when  other  children  are 
hardly  conscious  of  their  existence,  Mary  began  to  hold 
sweet  converse  in  fervent  prayer  with  her  Father  in  heaven. 
All  the  emotions  of  her  soul  were  guided  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Most  attentive  was  her  willing  ear  to  the  voice 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  A  childlike  love  for  God  adorned 
her  simplest  play  and  her  earliest  duties. 

With  regard  to  the  heavenly  Father  and  her  fellow- 
beings,  Mary  enjoyed  the  most  happy  relations.  Nor 
were  her  relations  to  God’s  inanimate  creation  less  pleas¬ 
ant.  By  the  commission  of  original  sin,  man  had  brought 
enmity  between  himself  and  many  of  the  animals  of  crea¬ 
tion  and  had  frightened  from  his  presence  the  gentler 
creatures.  But  as  Mary  was  free  from  this  sin,  there  were 
renewed  around  her  some  of  the  most  touching  scenes  of 
Eden’s  garden.  She  entertained  a  deep-seated  love  and 
a  perfect  appreciation  of  the  wonders  and  mysteries  of 
nature.  The  wild  beasts  of  the  forest  and  the  timid  birds 
of  the  air  displayed  in  her,  presence,  as  she  would  pass 
through  the  fields,  a  most  unusual  confidence  and  trust. 
In  the  midst  of  these  miracles  of  beauty  and  power  of 
nature,  the  tender  child  of  God  would  adore  the  God  who 
made  all  these  wondrous  works  of  nature. 

YOUTH. 

Christian  reader,  when  you  thus  look  back  in  spirit  on 
the  lovely,  sunny,  angelic  youth-time  of  the  Blessed  Vir- 


70  Mary /  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

gin,  what  sentiments  are  awakened  in  your  soul,  what 
visions  rise  before  your  mental  view  !  As  the  soft  tones 
of  a  vesper-bell  reminds  the  lonely  traveller  in  a  foreign 
land  of  his  distant  home  and  of  his  dear  ones  far  away 
awakening  in  his  breast  a  longing  for  his  own  fireside,  so 
should  you  feel  and  think,  and,  with  sorrowful  longing  eye, 
look  back  to  the  distant  yet  fair  scenes  of  your  youth. 
Days  of  happy  harmless  joys  !  Days  of  innocence  and 
childish  fear  of  God,  whither  have  ye  flown  ?  As  the 
rushing  hurricane  or  the  destructive  hail-storm  beats  down 
the  fair  and  promising  field  of  wheat,  so  perhaps,  alas ! 
have  the  pestilent  winds  of  concupiscence  and  the  violent 
tempest  of  evil  passions  passed,  like  destroying  angels, 
over  the  sinless  paradise  of  your  childhood.  Your  mother, 
who  in  those  days  guided  and  loved  you,  has  perhaps  since 
then  shed  many  bitter  tears  over  you.  Or,  may  be,  you 
have  passed  many  a  sorrowful  hour  in  remorse  over  her 
grass-grown  grave.  Now,  that  time  of  youth  has  passed 
away  forever — forever  in  this  life.  Neither  wishing  nor 
sighing  nor  longing  can  bring  one  minute  of  it  back.  And 
if,  perhaps,  you  at  that  time  dwelt  in  the  sunshine  of  bless¬ 
ing  and  happiness,  and  enjoyed  childhood’s  pure  pleasures 
to  their  full,  and  yet,  child  that  you  were,  did  not  advert 
to  these  favors,  nor  thank  God  for  them,  now  at  least  thank 
your  heavenly  Father  and  renew  sentiments  of  filial  affec¬ 
tion  and  gratitude  towards  your  worthy  and  fond  and 
devoted  parents,  whether  they  linger  still  in  feeble  age 
in  the  old  homestead,  or  have  been  laid  for  long  years 
in  the  grave, — thank  them  with  a  generous  heart  for  your 
countless  blessings  of  soul  and  body  enjoyed  in  early 
years. 

But,  dear  Christian,  if  you  compare  the  years  of  your 
youth  with  the  angelic  youth  of  the  ever-blessed  Virgin, 
will  not  other  feelings  of  a  far  different  nature  be  stirred 
up  in  your  breast  ?  Was  the  happy  time  of  your  youth 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  ADORES  HER  INFANT  GOD. 


The  Home  Education  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  71 

entirely  cloudless  ?  Was  not  its  sunshine  sometimes  over¬ 
cast?  Was  not  its  brightness  now  and  then  tarnished 
with  unsightly  blemishes  which  you  would  now  gladly  shut 
out  from  your  view,  and  which  you  should  endeavor  to 
remove  by  copious  tears  of  repentance  ?  Alas,  at  what  an 
early  day  appear  those  childish  waywardnesses  which  are 
the  prolific  seed  of  future  guilty  transgressions  !  Those 
virtues  of  childhood,  such  as  piety,  sincerity,  obedience, 
truthfulness,  and  purity,  they  are  too  soon  subjected  to 
severe  tests  and  perhaps  suffer  shipwreck  in  the  struggle. 
When  does  it  happen  in  our  day  of  premature  precocious¬ 
ness  that  children  bring  to  their  first  confession  an  un¬ 
tarnished  and  whole  garment  of  innocence  ? 

Most  pure  Virgin  Mary,  when  I  contrast  the  years  of 
my  childhood  with  thine,  my  soul  is  overwhelmed  with 
remorse  and  confusion.  Deign  then  to  screen  from  the 
eyes  of  an  offended  God,  with  thy  mantle  of  innocence, 
all  the  sins  of  my  early  life,  those  I  forget  as  well  as 
those  that  I  remember.  To  the  heavenly  Father  I  offer  up 
all  the  chaste  thoughts,  the  edifying  words,  the  meritorious 
works  and  practices  of  virtue  that  distinguished  thee  in 
childhood,  as  an  atonement  to  Him  for  my  evil  thoughts, 
words,  and  acts  which  I  had  the  misfortune  to  be  guilty  of 
in  my  childhood. 

Holy  parents,  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne,  I  implore  ye, 
by  the  manifold  joys  which  you  experienced  in  the  virtu¬ 
ous  childhood  of  your  angelic  daughter,  as  well  as  by  the 
manifold  cares  and  services  which  you  delighted  to 
exercise  in  her  regard,  to  beg  of  God  that  He  would  for¬ 
give  me  the  great  crime  of  having  lost  by  sin  the  precious 
time  of  my  childhood. 

PARENTAL  TRAINING. 

For  you,  Christian  parents,  in  the  sacred  and  impera¬ 
tive  duty  of  training  your  children  during  the  first  years 


72  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

of  their  existence,  the  God-fearing  parents,  St.  Joachim 
and  St.  Anne,  are  a  glorious  model  and  standard.  What 
a  miserably  disastrous  opinion  is  that  prevailing  one  which 
holds  or  pretends  to  hold  that  the  spiritual  or  religious 
training  of  a  child  should  begin  only  with  the  dawning 
of  the  so-called  age  of  reason  in  the  child  !  Long  previous, 
before  the  germ  of  evil  begins  to  unfold  itself  in  the  soil 
of  this  child-garden,  in  the  soul  of  the  child,  the  good 
seed  of  virtue  must  be  sown  in  the  susceptible  disposi¬ 
tions,  in  the  hungry  soil,  that  it  may  there  put  forth  and 
fix  its  roots,  and  when  the  age  of  reason  comes,  be 
already  strong  and  vigorous  enough  to  outgrow  and 
smother  every  weed. 

There  are,  Christian  parents,  four  special  virtues  which 
you  must  endeavor  to  instil  at  a  very  early  age  into  the 
minds  of  the  children  whom  heaven  has  sent  to  you  for 
safe  keeping.  These  virtues  are  piety,  obedience,  truth¬ 
fulness,  and  modesty. 

(a)  Piety.  —  Children  are  naturally  pious.  Hence, 
Christian  mother,  it  behooves  you  to  awaken  in  earliest 
years  this  fortunate  disposition  of  your  child,  and  to 
nourish  this  natural  impulse  with  suitable  supernatural 
truth  and  facts.  You  must  needs  represent  to  the  child 
that  everything  surrounding  it — food,  clothing,  home,  kind 
parents  and  friends,  and  other  blessings  of  life,  are  all  gifts 
from  a  kind  Providence,  to  whom  in  return  he  should 
show  a  grateful  heart,  a  willing  obedience,  and  other 
commendable  virtues  pleasing  to  God. 

What  an  inexhaustible  wealth  of  most  interesting  and 
instructive  truth  and  example  is  to  be  found  in  the  single 
subject  of  the  birth  of  Our  Lord  on  Christmas  ! — for 
instance,  the  beautiful  Babe  itself  in  the  crib,  the  lowly 
stable,  the  joyous  angels,  the  wondering  shepherds,  the 
bright  star  in  the  East  and  the  wise  men  journeying  to 
Bethlehem.  In  the  story  of  Christmas,  the  childish  imag- 


Ihe  Home  Education  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  73 

ination,  diverted,  pleased,  and  instructed,  is  directed  to  a 
pleasant  yet  profitable  consideration  of  the  great  mystery 
of  man’s  redemption.  Its  intellect  and  tender  heart  are 
warmed  with  a  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  a  sublime 
subject.  Moreover,  Christian  mother,  until  such  time  as 
your  child  is  able  to  join  you  in  prayer,  you  must  present 
to  its  notice  some  religious  practices,  and  also  take  care 
that  all  other  persons  surrounding  the  child  should  do 
the  same  in  its  presence.  Thus  the  child,  on  acquiring 
further  knowledge,  will  know  of  nothing  else,  and  will  not 
be  able  to  understand  how  one  can  sit  to  table,  leave  his 
bed  in  the  morning,  or  retire  to  rest  at  night  without  say¬ 
ing  his  prayers.  As  soon  as  the  child  can  pronounce  a 
few  consecutive  words,  the  maternal  teacher  must  teach 
it  its  Pater  Noster  or  “  Our  Father.”  As  the  first  bright 
moments  of  a  new  day  are  to  be  devoted  to  prayer,  so 
should  the  earliest  hours  of  innocent  childhood  be  dedi¬ 
cated  to  the  service  of  God. 

(J?)  Obedience. — “  For  as  by  the  disobedience  of  one 
man,  many  were  made  sinners  :  so  also  by  the  obedience 
of  one,  many  shall  be  made  just,”  says  the  holy  apostle  St. 
Paul.  (Rom.  v.  19.) 

Thus  as  the  sin  of  disobedience  proved  to  be  for  all  man¬ 
kind  an  inexhaustible  source  of  sin  and  misery,  so  obedi¬ 
ence  became  the  beginning  of  man’s  regained  innocence 
and  restored  happiness.  So  too  the  individual  man  or 
woman,  who  by  personal  disobedience  has  become  es¬ 
tranged  from  God,  is  to  be  brought  back  to  His  friendship 
by  the  practice  of  the  contrary  virtue  obedience.  A 
vigorous  disciplining  in  the  virtue  of  obedience  is  there¬ 
fore  for  your  child,  Christian  parent,  the  greatest  benefit, 
for  it  is  a  victory  over  inordinate  lusts  of  sensuality  and 
stubborn  selfishness.  Sometimes  even  in  very  small 
children  an  unseemly  and  wilful  stubbornness  shows  itself 
in  an  extraordinary  degree,  and  they  soon  learn  how  to 


74  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

obtain  the  object  of  their  whimsical  desires  by  petulant 
crying  and  other  evil  and  annoying  methods. 

Now,  then,  Christian  mother,  how  do  you  conduct  your¬ 
self  when  in  the  midst  of  such  a  scene  gotten  up  by  your 
darling  child  ?  Will  you  give  in  ?  Will  you  coax  and 
wheedle  ?  Will  you  permit  your  child  to  lay  down  conditions 
for  you  ?  No  ;  you  must  punish,  and  punish  quickly,  so 
that  this  scene  may  vanish  as  soon  as  possible  and  not 
return  again  in  a  hurry.  This  constant,  inexorable,  and 
just  motherly  chastisement  will  soon  have  such  effect  upon 
your  child,  that  it  will  continue  to  submit  and  obey  with¬ 
out  any  attempt  at  contradiction,  or  disposition  to  ques¬ 
tion  authority. 

( c )  Truthfulness. — It  was  by  the  stratagem  of  lying  that 
the  tempter  brought  about  the  fall  of  our  first  parents. 
In  the  youthful  soul  of  every  child  of  Adam  a  trace  of 
this  vice  is  to  be  discovered.  Hence  parents,  in  training 
their  little  ones,  should  watch  this  tendency  to  falsify. 
An  untruth  must  be  severely  reprimanded,  and  if  repeated 
and  persisted  in,  the  child  ought  to  be  punished.  If  the 
first  yielding  on  the  part  of  a  child  to  the  temptation  to 
lie  is  an  effort  to  thus  escape  a  merited  chastisement,  the 
prudent  parent  should  chastise  doubly  this  fault  for  which 
the  lie  is  told.  On  the  contrary,  he  should  reprimand 
mildly  and  firmly  the  fault  which  the  child  will  acknowl¬ 
edge  at  once,  with  the  assurance  that  it  is  for  telling  the 
truth  he  is  indebted  for  his  escape  from  punishment. 
But  how  often  a  misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  the 
parent  is  itself  the  cause  of  untruthfulness  in  the  child  ! 
When  a  child,  through  levity  and  thoughtlessness,  acci¬ 
dentally  breaks  a  pane  of  glass  or  a  plate,  or  when  play¬ 
ing  soils  his  clothes,  he  very  often  must  expect  from  im¬ 
patient  parents  a  punishment  out  of  all  proportion  with 
the  act  of  carelessness.  There  is  no  guilt,  and  the  child 
by  anticipating  the  coming  punishment  often  atones  be- 


The  Home  Education  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  75 

forehand  very  fully  for  his  fault,  if  fault  there  is,  by  his 
dread  of  his  parents’  anger.  Hence  he  looks  upon  the 
coming  punishment  as  a  sort  of  injustice  done  to  him,  and 
to  avoid  it  will  have  recourse  to  whatever  means  offers 
itself  first  to  his  mind.  But  if  the  child  is  not  punished 
for  actual  sin,  such  as  disobedience,  sulkiness,  and  lying, 
then  the  parents  show  that  they  know  how  to  destroy  their 
child. 

( d )  Modesty. — Man,  the  image  and  likeness  of  God 
and  destined  to  a  high  and  holy  end,  has  an  exalted 
dignity.  Sentiments  of  honor  and  of  modesty  are  the 
true  inwardness  of  this  inborn  nobility  and  dignity.  There 
should  be  a  natural  aversion  to  everything  immodest  and 
offensive  to  this  nobility.  Hence,  Christian  parents,  treat 
your  child  not  only  with  love  but  with  reverence,  even  in 
that  age  when  of  himself  he  can  have  no  idea  of  his  own 
high  destiny  and  dignity.  Deal  writh  him  as  if  he  had 
a  full  and  correct  notion  of  what  is  wrong. 

Your  feelings  of  tenderness,  Christian  mother,  must  not 
permit  you  to  allow  in  the  clothing,  position,  or  occupa¬ 
tion  of  your  child  anything  that  later  on  in  his  life  would 
prove  disastrous. 

Say  not  that  the  young  ones  are  innocent  and  harmless. 
They  are  often  not  as  innocent  as  they  seem.  But  if  they 
are  innocent,  then  take  care  to  keep  them  so. 

Above  all  things,  Christian  parents,  you  are  bound  to 
give  example  of  strict  modesty  to  your  growing  child. 
When  in  his  presence  avoid  everything  that  would  be  unbe¬ 
coming  for  him  to  see  or  hear,  or  that  might  be  suggestive 
to  him  of  improper  thoughts.  God  grant  that  the  terrible 
words  of  Him  who  was  the  children’s  Friend  may  not 
alight  as  a  curse  and  sentence  of  condemnation  on  the 
head  of  any  father  or  mother:  “Wo  to  him  through 
whom  scandals  come,  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  mill¬ 
stone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he  cast  into  the  sea, 


76  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 


than  that  he  should  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones.” 
(Luke  xvii.  1,2.) 

Christian  parents,  beg  often  and  often  of  the  pious 
parents  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  that  they  would  impart  to 
you  the  Christian,  the  heavenly  faculty  of  bringing  up  your 
children  for  God  and  His  holy  cause,  and  the  art  of  win¬ 
ning  their  tender  souls  to  virtue,  more  through  your  own 
good  example,  than  by  coarse  reproaches  and  angry 
words. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MARY’S  PRESENTATION. 

DEDICATED  TO  GOD. 

OBED  of  old  was  favored  with  many  blessings  from 
heaven  because  he  kept  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant 
in  his  house.  Joachim  and  Anne,  who  had  in  their  homes 
the  true  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  for  the  same  reason  in¬ 
creased  in  holiness  and  love  for  God.  Yet  they  under¬ 
stood  that  this  sacred  treasure  had  only  been  loaned  to 
them,  and  that  God  expected  them  to  fulfil  without  any 
unnecessary  delay  the  vow  which  they  had  made  to  Him, 
namely,  to  dedicate  her  to  His  service  in  the  Temple  at 
Jerusalem.  Their  hearts  were  filled  with  mingled  love  and 
pain  as  they  thought  of  the  approaching  separation. 
Their  feelings  were  similar  to  those  of  the  Patriarch 
Abraham,  when,  in  obedience  to  God’s  command,  he  pre¬ 
pared  to  lead  forth  to  sacrifice  his  only  son  who  had  been 
sent  to  him  in  a  miraculous  manner  by  God  Himself. 

Mary  was  now  about  three  years  old,  but  large  for 
her  age.  In  natural  development  of  mind  she  was 
away  ahead  of  children  of  the  same  age.  While  in  knowl- 


Mary’s  Prese?itation. 


77 


edge  and  virtue  and  other  supernatural  endowments,  she 
was  the  most  perfect  creature  that  ever  lived,  or  ever  will 
live  on  earth.  She  loved  her  parents  with  an  exceedingly 
tender  filial  affection.  She  soon  discovered  their  ill-con¬ 
cealed  grief  and  anguish,  and  prayed  to  her  Father  in 
heaven  to  afford  herself  and  them  the  strength  necessary 
for  the  approaching  sacrifice.  The  Lord  heard  her  prayer 
and  strengthened  the  hearts  of  the  sorrowing  parents 
against  the  hour  of  separation. 

The  divine  spouse,  closely  as  she  was  bound  in  all  the 
ties  of  affection  to  her  beloved  parents  and  their  happy 
home,  yet  longed  impatiently  from  the  depths  of  her  pure 
soul  to  serve  her  Creator  in  His  holy  Temple,  and  to  live 
for  Him  alone.  To  any  faint  objections  from  her  lonely 
parents,  she  would  respond  tenderly  in  words  similar  to 
those  used  later  by  her  own  divine  Son  when,  without  her 
knowledge,  He  remained  in  the  temple :  “  Do  you  not 
know  that  I  must  be  about  My  Father’s  business.  (Luke 
ii.  49.) 

From  the  days  of  Moses,  it  was  the  custom  among  the 
Jews  for  a  band  of  young  girls  to  dwell  near  the  Taber¬ 
nacle,  and  later  on  near  Solomon’s  Temple.  These  maid¬ 
ens,  who  were  required  to  make  a  vow  of  virginity  for  a 
term  of  years,  served  the  Lord  in  one  of  the  outer  courts 
of  the  Temple.  Devout  widows,  too,  were  permitted, 
though  as  an  exception  to  the  rule,  to  take  this  vow. 
We  have  an  instance  of  this  in  the  prophetess  Anna, 
“  who  departed  not  from  the  temple,  by  fastings  and 
prayers  serving  night  and  day.”  (Luke  ii.  37.)  This  de¬ 
vout  widow,  however,  was  appointed  to  take  care  of  the 
young  girls  who  served  in  the  Temple.  It  was  her  duty  to 
guard  them  against  temptation,  to  educate  them,  and  to 
bring  them  up  with  reference  to  their  future  callings  in 
life.  Of  course,  she  followed  the  wishes  or  the  vows  of 
the  parents  of  the  children. 


78  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

For  the  future  Mother  of  God,  this  presentation  in  the 
Temple  and  her  sojourn  within  its  consecrated  walls  had  a 
very  special  destiny  and  a  most  mysterious  significance. 
Here,  from  her  tenderest  maidenhood,  she  was  entirely 
and  exclusively  dedicated  to  the  Lord  and  His  service. 
Here  she  was  inducted  into  the  mysteries,  prophecies, 
promises,  prototypes,  and  figures  of  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures.  Here,  in  a  holy  nearness  to  God  and  under  the 
most  copious  showers  of  God’s  grace-dews,  her  heart  and 
her  soul  were  filled  with  intense  and  constant  yearnings 
for  the  divine  Redeemer,  with  a  disinterested  love  for 
God  and  her  neighbor,  and  with  an  invincible  aversion  for 
all  sin,  which  she  looked  upon  as  grievous  injury  to  the 
all-high  majesty  of  God.  Yes,  God  Himself  wished  to 
superintend  in  His  own  Temple  the  training  of  the  future 
Mother  of  His  beloved  Son. 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  TEMPLE. 

The  time  for  leaving  her  mother’s  home  had  arrived. 
According  to  the  best  calculations,  it  was  about  the 
middle  of  November,  in  a  dreary  and  cold  season,  when 
St.  Joachim  and  Saint  Anne  began  their  journey  of  sacri¬ 
fice  towards  Jerusalem.  We  can  ascertain  with  tolerable 
accuracy  from  the  following  circumstances  that  the 
journey  took  place  at  this  season  of  the  year.  As  we 
learn  from  the  Gospel,  Mary  was  closely  related  to  St. 
Zachary  and  St.  Elizabeth,  the  venerable  parents  of  St. 
John,  the  forerunner  of  Christ.  Zachary  being  a  priest, 
was  therefore  obliged  once  or  twice  in  the  year  to  make 
a  journey  of  five  miles,  from  Hebron  to  Jerusalem,  in 
order  to  discharge  his  priestly  duties  in  the  Temple.*  Of 

*The  priests  were  divided  into  twenty-four  orders  or  choirs,  who 
exercised  their  exalted  office  by  turns. 


Mary's  Presentation, 


79 


course,  it  would  be  for  the  pious  parents  of  Mary  a 
special  honor  and  consolation  to  be  able  to  entrust  their 
beloved  child  to  a  priestly  acquaintance  and  friend. 
Hence  they  arranged  to  have  their  visit  at  the  same  time 
that  Zachary  would  come  to  the  Temple.  They  fixed  the 
time  of  their  oblation  to  meet  his  day  of  priestly  duty.* 

Over  the  weary  road  to  the  Holy  City,  the  three-year- 
old  chosen  one  hastened  on  wings  of  holy  impatience. 
Having  completed  their  journey,  the  entry  to  the  Temple 
was  quiet  and  devoid  of  all  display.  The  Temple  stood 
on  Mount  Moria.  A  flight  of  fifteen  steps,  each  one  with 
a  rise  of  several  inches,  led  up  to  the  chief  entrance. 
Now,  it  was  wonderful  to  see  with  what  ease  and  agility 
the  three-year-old  child  eagerly  ascended  these  steps. 
Above,  waiting  near  the  Golden  Gate,  stood  the  venerable 
gray-haired  priest  Zachary,  ready  to  receive  the  spotless 
victim  to  be  offered  up.  Having  entered  the  sacred 
halls,  the  devout  parents  threw  themselves  in  deep 
emotion  on  the  ground,  with  their  child  between  them,  in 
order  to  adore  the  living  God.  With  a  joyous  heart 
Mary  returned  thanks  to  the  God  of  Israel,  for  having 
judged  her  worthy  of  the  privilege  to  serve  Him  in  His  own 
house,  and  she  offered  herself  up  to  Him,  to  be  His  ser¬ 
vant  forever.  Then  took  place  the  offering  or  presentation 
and  the  rendering  of  gifts.  What  a  glorious  spectacle  for 
heaven  and  earth,  for  angels  and  men !  With  what  com¬ 
placency  God  the  Father  accepted  the  offering  of  His 
pure  daughter;  God  the  Son  of  His  future  Mother;  God 
the  Holy  Ghost  of  His  immaculate  spouse  !  What  rejoic¬ 
ing,  what  congratulations  among  the  choirs  of  heavenly 
spirits,  when  they  beheld  their  youthful  Queen  placed 
nearer  to  them,  and  entering  upon  duties  which  resembled 

*  St.  Germanus,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  and  George  of 
Nicomedia  relate  that  it  was  St.  Zachary  who  received  the  Blessed 
Virgin  into  the  service  of  the  Temple. 


80  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

those  that  they  performed,  namely,  of  serving  and  prais¬ 
ing  God. 

You,  too,  Christian  reader,  rejoice  at  the  God-pleasing 
sacrifice  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  her  parents.  Unite 
with  it  the  sacrifice  of  yourself,  of  your  body,  your  soul, 
your  joys,  your  sufferings,  your  struggles,  your  hopes, 
your  present  and  past,  so  that  all  these  may  be  offered 
through  the  hands  of  the  most  worthy  high-priestess  Mary 
to  the  most  high  God,  and  thus,  passing  through  her 
hands,  may  be  pleasing  in  His  eyes. 

With  child-like  confidence,  speak  to  Mary  in  the  Temple. 
O  ever-blessed  Virgin  Mary  full  of  grace !  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart,  I  congratulate  thee,  and  with  fervor 
do  I  rejoice  to  know  that  by  virtue  of  thy  self-oblation 
in  the  Temple,  thou  wast  accepted  by  God  and  adopted 
as  His  true  daughter,  as  His  best-loved  child  among 
men.  I  unite  myself  with  thee  in  thy  desire  for  self¬ 
oblation,  in  thy  devotion,  in  thy  purity,  in  thy  humility. 
Obtain  for  me  the  grace  to  offer  myself  without  reserve  to 
God,  at  least  as  far  as  my  position  in  life  and  its  duties 
demand  and  permit.  Alas,  how  many  unfaithful  hours  in 
His  service  have  I  to  lament,  from  the  time  of  my  child¬ 
hood  till  the  present  day !  How  often  have  I  fixed  my 
heart’s  affections  on  the  vain  things  of  this  earth,  on  the 
fleeting  pleasures  of  time !  In  my  folly,  the  God  of  eter¬ 
nal  love  could  find  no  place  in  my  heart.  O  sublime 
Virgin,  through  the  merits  of  thy  God-appeasing  offering 
and  presentation,  obtain  for  me  a  constant  and  disinter¬ 
ested  love  for  my  Lord  and  Saviour. 

TWO-FOLD  DEDICATION  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN. 

The  solemn  entrance  of  Mary  into  the  Temple  and  her 
presentation  or  offering  to  God  during  the  earliest  and 
tenderest  years  of  her  life  must  necessarily,  Christian 


Mary's  Presentatiofi. 


81 


reader,  remind  you  of  two  solemn  and  important  events 
in  your  own  life.  These  two  events  which  in  a  certain 
sense  resemble  the  presentation  in  the  Temple  of  the  im¬ 
maculate  spouse  of  heaven  are  your  holy  Baptism  and 
your  First  Communion,  for  on  both  occasions  you  were 
brought  to  God’s  temple  and  to  a  certain  extent  dedicated 
to  the  most  high  God. 

Christian  reader,  great  are  the  mercies  of  God,  im¬ 
measurable  the  graces  that  were  poured  into  your  soul 
through  the  holy  Sacrament  of  Baptism.  Then  was 
your  immortal  soul  purified  from  the  disgrace,  cleansed 
from  the  guilt  of  original  sin,  redeemed  from  the  slavery  of 
Satan,  and  stamped  with  the  seal  of  predilection  and  with 
the  sign  of  a  renewed  heirship  to  the  kingdom  of  your 
heavenly  Father.  In  slight  acknowledgment  of  this  in¬ 
finite  benefit  your  godfather  and  godmother,  speaking  for 
you,  made  solemnly  in  your  name  the  holy  promise  that 
you  would  do  what  in  any  case  you  would  be  obliged  to 
do  in  recognition  of  your  creation,  that  is  to  say,  you 
would  during  the  whole  of  your  life  renounce  the  devil 
with  all  his  pride  and  works,  and  serve  God,  the  all-holy 
One,  in  undying  faith  and  love.  Thus,  Christian  reader, 
you  were  in  the  earliest  hours  of  your  life  consecrated  to 
the  Lord  by  a  solemn  vow  and  pledge.  Thank,  then,  to-day 
and  during  all  the  days  of  your  life,  your  merciful  Father 
in  heaven  for  these  undeserved  graces,  namely,  that  you 
were  by  the  door  of  holy  Baptism  admitted  into  the  one 
true  Church,  to  the  faith  and  communion  of  the  children 
of  God.  From  the  bottom  of  your  heart  lament  that  you 
so  often  and  perhaps  so  grievously  fell  away  from  your 
baptismal  innocence,  and  thus  broke  and  violated  the 
sacred  treaty  made  betwixt  yourself  and  your  God.  Pre¬ 
sent  yourself  and  offer  yourself  anew  to-day,  in  union  with 
your  loving  and  beloved  Mother  Mary,  to  your  Lord,  to 
His  service  and  His  love. 

6 


82  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

Christian  reader,  as  a  fair  and  beautiful  landscape 
emerging  from  the  icy  grasp  of  winter  is  lit  up,  warmed, 
and  gloriously  beautified  unconsciously  by  the  golden 
light  of  the  sun  in  returning  springtide,  so  was  your  soul 
illumined  and  bathed  unconsciously  in  the  burning  rays 
of  heaven’s  graces,  which  dispelled  and  loosened  the 
freezing  cold  of  original  sin.  Unconsciously  too  was  it 
reunited  to  God  by  holy  and  mysterious  ties.  All  that 
took  place  at  your  Baptism  without  your  knowledge,  was 
repeated  in  a  far  higher  sense  and  renewed  to  a  higher 
degree  with  your  own  free  will,  and  with  whatever  knowl¬ 
edge  you  possessed  at  that  maturer  age  of  First  Communion 
time.  Then  did  the  Almighty  God  offer  Himself  to  you 
with  His  divinity  and  humanity,  and  with  the  plenitude 
of  His  grace  and  love.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  what 
then  took  place  in  your  soul.  Even  at  this  late  day,  try 
to  reawaken  the  sentiments  that  then  overflowed  your 
purified  heart.  Recall  the  childlike  devotion,  the  unqual¬ 
ified  confidence  in  God,  the  sincere  sorrow  for  the  small 
sins  of  your  youth.  Recall  your  feelings  of  happiness 
and  of  resolute  determination  when,  of  your  own  accord, 
you  repeated  and  ratified  your  baptismal  promises,  and 
again  renewed  your  offering  of  your  whole  being  to  God. 
Alas,  O  Lord  !  where  are  now  those  holy  sentiments,  what 
has  become  of  those  solemn  pledges  ?  Are  they  still  alive 
in  your  heart  or  do  they  slumber  ?  Perhaps  they  are  totally 
extinct.  Perhaps  not  a  decade  of  years  has  yet  passed 
by  since  that  memorable  day  of  your  First  Communion, 
the  purest  and  brightest  of  your  whole  life.  Yet  how 
changed  !  If  your  pious  director  when  preparing  you  for 
your  First  Communion  and  leading  you  up  to  the  altar  of 
the  Lord  had  predicted  that  you  would  turn  out  to  be  the 
careless,  lukewarm,  forgetful  Christian  that  you  find  your 
self  to  be  to-day,  you  would  not  have  believed  him.  On 
the  contrary  you  would  have  protested  with  all  the  pre- 


Mary's  Presentatio?i. 


83 


sumptuous  indignation  of  St.  Peter,  who  when  warned 
by  his  blessed  Lord  that  he  would  even  deny  Him,  re¬ 
plied  :  “  Although  all  shall  be  scandalized  in  Thee,  I  will 
never  be  scandalized.”  (Matt.  xxxi.  33.)  Yet,  Christian 
reader,  be  not  despondent.  Take  refuge  in  the  sheltering 
arms  of  Mary,  your  friend  and  protector.  But  renew  also 
the  promises  of  your  youth,  uniting  them  fervently  to  the 
promises  made  by  her  in  the  Temple.  You  will  thus  ob¬ 
tain  pardon,  peace  of  conscience,  and  unfailing  constancy. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  SPOUSE. 

For  certain  chosen  souls,  this  presentation  of  Mary  in 
the  Temple  has  a  special  and  very  significant  import. 
Such  favorite  souls  enjoy  besides  the  two  already  men¬ 
tioned,  still  a  third  solemn  entrance  into  the  temple  of 
God.  This  takes  place  on  the  momentous  day  of  their 
religious  profession,  when,  by  virtue  of  their  holy  convent 
vows  they  consecrate  themselves  forever  to  the  service 
of  their  Lord  and  Master.  Throughout  all  the  centuries 
of  Christianity,  without  respect  to  the  opposing  ordinances 
of  governments  or  other  opposition  of  worldlings,  God,  by 
an  inscrutable  interposition  of  His  divine  grace,  has  called 
certain  chosen  souls  to  follow  more  closely,  in  the  cloisters 
of  religious  life,  the  footsteps  of  Jesus  Christ  and  of  His 
consecrated  Mother.  Happy  the  soul  whose  lot  it  is  to 
be  thus  chosen.  With  the  Royal  Psalmist,  David,  such  a 
one  can  sing  :  “  blow  lovely  are  Thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord 
of  hosts ;  my  soul  longeth  and  fainteth  for  the  courts  of 
the  Lord.  My  heart  and  my  flesh  have  rejoiced  in  the 
living  God.  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  Thy  house,  O 
Lord :  they  shall  praise  Thee  forever  and  ever.  For 
better  is  one  day  in  Thy  courts  above  thousands.  I  have 
chosen  to  be  an  abject  in  the  house  of  my  God,  rather 
than  to  dwell  in  the  tabernacles  of  sinners.”  (Ps.  lxxxiii.) 


84  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

It  is  a  happy  privilege  for  you,  Christian  reader,  if  you 
are  one  of  those  to  whom  a  certain  and  positive  call  has 
been  extended  to  serve  in  God’s  holy  household  by  the 
practice  of  poverty,  obedience,  and  chastity.  If  you  have 
already  found  a  haven  of  religious  repose  within  the 
peaceful  walls  of  a  convent  and  have  uttered  before  the 
Lord  your  holy  vows,  then  consider  yourself  more  priv¬ 
ileged  than  the  greatest  potentate  of  earth.  With  Mary 
you  have  chosen  the  better  part  that  shall  not  be  taken 
away  from  you.  Yet  be  careful  lest  you  grow  cold  in  your 
love  for  God  and  yield  to  a  temptation  to  withdraw  from 
Him  the  offering  made  in  the  early  days  of  your  religious 
life. 

If  you,  Christian  reader,  are  still  tossed  about  amid  the 
billows  of  worldly  excitement,  and  from  the  midst  of  your 
peril  peer  anxiously  through  the  misty  atmosphere  in  search 
of  a  friendly  harbor,  imitate  the  careful  and  earnest  sailor 
in  search  of  a  haven  for  his  ship  with  its  valuable  cargo. 
Let  not  adverse  winds  bear  you  away  from  your  holy 
purpose,  especially  if  you  discover  signs  within  you  of  a 
call  to  a  religious  life.  Be  courageous  and  persevering. 
God,  heaven,  and  your  own  soul  are  worth  the  struggle. 
But  if  your  circumstances  are  such  that  although  your 
desire  is  deeply,  firmly,  and  ineffaceably  planted  in  your 
heart  you  cannot  reach  the  longed-for  goal  without  extraor¬ 
dinary  help  from  the  hand  of  God,  do  not  therefore 
yield  to  despair.  The  spirit  of  chastity,  the  spirit  of 
obedience,  the  spirit  of  detachment  from  earthly  things 
is  to  be  found  outside  the  convent  walls.  Let  your  quiet 
room  become  your  cell,  let  your  parish  church  be  your 
convent  chapel,  let  your  parents  and  neighbors  be  your  su¬ 
periors,  and  let  your  heart,  dear  Christian,  be  your  tab¬ 
ernacle  where  you  may  enjoy  the  uninterrupted,  consoling 
presence  of  God. 

Parents,  too,  are  to  be  congratulated  when  the  most 


The  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  Temple. 


8S 


high  God  calls  one  of  their  children  to  His  own  special 
and  exclusive  service  in  religious  life.  Do  not  parents 
consider  themselves  and  their  family  honored  when  a 
child  of  theirs  is  appointed  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  a  posi¬ 
tion  of  trust  and  dignity  in  his  country’s  service  ?  Are 
not  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne,  Mary’s  parents,  to  be 
felicitated  because  their  only  daughter  found  favor  in  the 
eyes  of  Ineffable  Majesty  ?  Can  it  be  possible  that 
Christian  parents,  who  would  gladly  surrender  a  son  to 
military  service,  to  bloodshed  and  slaughter,  would  com¬ 
plain  of  his  vocation  to  the  service  of  God,  and  place  in 
his  way  every  possible  obstacle  when  he  would  dedicate 
himself  to  the  service  of  God  at  the  altar  ? 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  IN  THE  TEMPLE  ADVANCES 
IN  WISDOM  AND  GRACE. 


THE  SEPARATION. 


HE  first  hour  spent  by  the  newly  consecrated  virgin 


A  within  the  walls  of  the  Temple  was  an  hour  of 
severe  trial  and  great  sacrifice  ;  and  yet  an  hour  replete 
with  merit  for  her  soul.  It  was  the  hour  of  parting,  of  her 
separation  from  her  beloved  parents.  This  tender  child 
of  three  years,  we  have  hitherto  contemplated  not  in  her 
individual  life,  so  to  speak,  but  rather  as  identified  with 
her  parents,  by  whom  she  was  cherished  and  cared. 

She  is  now  to  lose  suddenly  this  indispensable  support 
of  her  childhood.  But  the  loving  child  felt  not  only  her 
own  personal  pain  of  parting,  she  was  also  deeply  sensible 


86  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 


of  that  same  pain  as  felt  by  her  grieved  parents.  They, 
on  their  side,  did  all  they  could  to  conceal  from  their  loved 
one  the  deep  grief  of  their  lacerated  hearts.  But  the  laws 
of  nature  exercise  their  irresistible  force  over  the  hearts 
even  of  saints,  and  Mary’s  immaculate  heart  was  too 
transparent  a  mirror  not  to  reflect  the  lightest  shades  and 
shadows  of  sorrow  and  loneliness  that  darkened  the  brows 
of  her  father  and  mother.  Yet  they  were  all,  child  and 
parents,  void  of  every  unworthy  desire,  and  once  again 
they  renewed  in  spirit,  by  an  act  of  the  will  and  with  a 
look  towards  heaven,  the  sacrifice  just  completed  ;  and 
the  parting  scene  was  brought  to  a  close. 

Together  with  the  supernatural  merits  springing  from 
this  voluntary  separation,  the  inexperienced  child  acquired 
a  salutary  natural  advantage.  She  acquired  a  self-reliance 
far  exceeding  any  that  is  ordinarily  known  at  that  early 
age,  and  which  is  peculiar  only  to  those  who  in  early  life 
have  been  deprived  of  the  all-ordering,  all-guiding  care  of 
their  mother.  This  circumstance  was  a  part  of  heaven’s 
plan.  The  future  years  and  vicissitudes  of  the  thorn-filled 
life  of  God’s  Mother  demanded  a  fixed,  self-reliant,  and 
resolute  character. 


A  NEW  WORLD. 

With  great  love  and  motherly  tenderness,  was  the 
amiable  child  received  by  the  pious  women  who  had  pre¬ 
sided  over  the  education  of  the  young  girls  dwelling  in 
the  Temple.  Such  an  humble,  discreet,  and  loving  nature 
manifested  itself  in  the  external  conduct  of  the  modest 
girl  from  Nazareth,  such  a  noble,  benevolent  soul  spoke 
forth  from  her  bright,  mild  eyes,  that  she  at  once  won  the 
hearts  of  all.  Mary  paid  special  deference  to  every  one 
of  these  maidens,  and  with  friendly  entreaty,  besought 
them  as  her  seniors  who  were  familiar  with  the  rules  and 


The  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  Temple.  87 

customs  of  the  house  and  of  its  sacred  service,  to  instruct 
her,  to  point  out  her  faults,  and  to  command  her.  She 
considered  herself  unworthy  to  associate  with  such  pious 
servants  of  God.  For  the  first  few  hours,  the  newcomer 
could  hardly  find  a  moment  in  which,  alone  and  unseen, 
to  pour  forth  to  the  Lord  her  feelings  in  a  flow  of  gratitude. 
At  last,  when  she  found  herself  alone  in  her  sleeping  apart¬ 
ment,  she  threw  herself  on  her  face,  poured  forth  her 
heart  to  God  in  joy  and  gratitude  ;  thanking  Him  for  hav¬ 
ing  deemed  her  worthy  of  the  great  favor  of  being  received, 
without  any  merit  of  hers,  as  His  servant  in  His  holy  dwell¬ 
ing-place.  She  prayed  fervently,  too,  to  the  holy  angels, 
that  they  would  teach  her  how  to  serve  her  Lord  and 
Master  most  worthilv,  and  to  order  her  mode  of  life  ac- 
cording  to  His  divine  pleasure. 

DAILY  WORK. 

It  was  the  duty  of  the  school  of  young  girls  dwelling  in 
the  Temple  to  add  to  the  splendor  of  divine  worship  by 
chanting  during  the  services.  They  had  charge  of  the 
sacred  vessels  used  at  the  sacrifices  and  other  rites,  they 
kept  the  hangings  of  the  altar  and  the  vestments  of  the 
priests  in  order  and  readiness.  They  assisted  regularly 
at  the  morning  and  evening  sacrifices,  and  had,  besides, 
other  stated  times  for  prayer  and  study.  Their  remaining 
waking  hours  were  devoted  to  work.  They  learned  to 
spin  flax  and  wool,  to  weave  fine  linens  and  silks,  to  make 
priestly  garments  out  of  precious  gold  and  silver  stuffs, 
and  to  embroider  carpets  and  hangings  for  the  Temple. 
The  work  of  these  young  girls  was  renowned  all  through 
the  Orient. 

Our  young  pupil  soon  became  the  most  skilful  and  dis¬ 
tinguished  among  her  companions.  The  Lord  had  indeed 
adorned  her  with  every  gift  of  nature  and  of  grace.  To 


88  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

the  high  artistic  taste  and  wonderful  skill  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  are  we  indebted  for  that  seamless  and  woven  gar¬ 
ment  which,  according  to  time-honored  tradition,  she  after¬ 
wards  made  for  the  divine  Infant  Jesus.  The  fervor  of  her 
deep-seated  charity  and  love  in  the  holy  temple,  the  ardent 
zeal  with  which  she  performed  every  duty  in  the  house  of 
God,  excited  the  admiration  even  of  the  chief  priests,  who 
looked  upon  her  with  wonder  and  reverence.  Her  out¬ 
ward  demeanor,  her  graceful  speech,  her  modesty  and 
simplicity,  her  habit  of  always  choosing  the  humblest  and 
heaviest  tasks  and  duties,  edified  her  companions  and 
delighted  her  tutors,  and  stimulated  both  to  an  increased 
love  of  God.  Her  soul  floated  in  a  holy  and  mysterious 
atmosphere.  All  her  works,  whether  of  a  bodily  or 
spiritual  character,  resembled  the  pure,  light  snowflakes 
that  gently  and  solemnly  fall  on  the  mountain-sides.  The 
field  of  snow  on  the  mountain-top  is  already  pure  and 
white,  and  pure  and  white  are  the  flakes  that  settle  down 
upon  it.  Thus  white  is  added  to  white,  brilliancy  to 
brilliancy,  till  the  whole  forms  itself  into  a  brilliant  gar¬ 
ment  which,  like  the  dazzling  sun,  compels  men  to  with¬ 
draw  their  gaze.  But  who  can  penetrate  into  the  deep 
and  sacred  recesses  of  the  pure,  deep-seated,  burning,  and 
disinterested  charity,  with  which  the  heart  of  the  Virgin 
burned  ?  This  living  love  for  God  was  the  queen,  the 
mother,  the  life,  the  soul,  the  crown  of  all  her  other  per¬ 
fections.  The  foundation  of  this  sacred  ineffable  charity 
was  her  sublime  knowledge  of  God,  as  founded  in  faith, 
and  which  was  more  perfect  in  her  than  it  was  possible 
to  be  in  any  other  created  being.  It  is  true,  that  as  yet 
she  did  not  see  God  in  the  light  of  unobstructed  vision, 
but  for  that  reason  her  merit  was  the  greater,  her  love  the 
more  meritorious.  This  charity  increased  with  every 
moment  of  her  life,  for  in  her  immaculate  existence,  there 
could  be  no  hindrance  by  sin  to  her  mysterious  advance- 


The  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  Temple .  89 

ment.  She  alone  of  all  created  beings  was  the  only  one 
who  could,  and  who  can  still,  fulfil  in  the  highest  and  most 
perfect  degree  the  first  and  greatest  commandment  of  the 
Law,  which  says  :  “  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  thy  whole  heart  and  with  thy  whole  soul  and  with 
all  thy  strength.  (Matt.  xxii.  37.) 

Among  the  occupations  of  Mary  in  the  Temple,  her 
chief  one,  and  that  which  delighted  her  the  most,  was  the 
reading  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  and  hearing  them  ex¬ 
plained.  These  holy  writings,  dictated  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  Himself,  contain,  indeed,  the  most  glorious  descrip¬ 
tions  of  the  majesty,  omnipotence,  and  mercy  of  God. 
They  describe  the  wonderful  dealings  of  God  with  His 
Chosen  People.  On  every  page  they  give  evidence  of 
the  coming  Redeemer,  and  point  out  clearly  the 
“  Desired  of  nations,”  the  Comforter,  the  Prince  of 
peace.  How  her  heart  was  entranced  with  holy  joy  at  the 
contemplation  of  God’s  miraculous  doings  !  How  she 
gloried  with  a  holy  longing,  and  yearned  and  prayed  that 
she  might  live  to  see  the  day  of  the  promised  Saviour  ! 
Deep  grief  overpowered  her  soul  as  she  read  of  the  un¬ 
accountable  ingratitude  of  man,  as  she  read  of  the  dread¬ 
ful  misery  which  sin  entailed  upon  the  human  race.  In. 
the  simplicity  of  her  humble  heart,  how  favored  she  con¬ 
sidered  the  maiden  who,  according  to  the  prediction  of 
the  Prophet  Isaias,  was  to  bring  forth  the  Emmanuel 
That  she,  the  queen  of  prophets,  had  entered  deeply 
into  the  study  and  spirit  of  the  sacred  writings  is  evident 
from  her  own  wonderful  and  beautiful  canticle,  the  Mag¬ 
nificat,  a  production  which,  apart  from  the  sublime  proph¬ 
ecies  it  contains,  has  well  deserved  to  find  among  all 
nations  an  undisputed  renown  as  one  of  the  grandest  cre¬ 
ations  in  scriptural  poetry. 


9° 


Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 


CHRISTIAN  TRAINING  OF  YOUTH. 

What  a  glorious  picture  is  here  presented  to  us  of  an 
educational  training  imbued  with  religion  through  and 
through.  Oh,  that  all  those  parents  who  have  children  to 
educate,  or  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  educate  them,  would 
here  learn  in  what  true  and  saving  education  consists  ! 

It  is  not  always  possible  for  the  young  boy  or  girl,  es¬ 
pecially  if  remote  from  day  schools,  to  be  brought  up  and 
properly  educated  at  home.  Under  the  parental  roof  it 
is  not  always  possible  to  obtain  the  training  necessary  to 
fit  a  youth  for  the  future  exigencies  of  life.  Thus  arises  for 
parents  the  serious  necessity  of  entrusting  their  offspring 
to  the  care  of  strange  hands  for  proper  moulding  during 
the  most  important  years  of  boyhood  or  girlhood.  The 
boy  is  sent  to  the  academy  or  the  college,  the  daughter  is 
placed  in  an  institute  or  a  convent.  Christian  parents, 
should  you  not  first  examine  and  know  and  understand  to 
whose  care  you  are  entrusting  your  most  precious  jewels  ? 
With  far  more  caution  and  deliberation  would  you  let  out 
to  a  bank  an  insignificant  sum  of  money  than  you  do 
your  children  to  a  boarding-school,  where,  perhaps,  God’s 
name  is  never  mentioned,  where  Christianity  is  ignored, 
where  faith  and  morality  and  piety  are  unknown,  or  perhaps 
sneered  at  and  despised.  What  keen  and  lifelong  remorse 
and  misery  have  many  parents  undergone  in  penalty  for 
such  want  of  discrimination  in  the  choice  of  education  for 
their  children  !  How  many  a  good  son  and  daughter  has 
left  the  parental  roof,  endowed  with  the  precious  treasure 
of  the  true  faith,  blessed  with  the  fear  of  God  and  with 
childlike  innocence,  to  enter  a  school,  where  at  vast  ex¬ 
pense  of  time  and  money,  a  superficial,  hollow,  and  most 
likely  destructive  form  of  education  is  obtained,  while 
faith  and  piety  are  eliminated  from  the  heart  and  soul  of 
the  pupil !  Alas !  the  unsuspecting  and  inexperienced 


The  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  Temple.  91 

child  but  follows  and  obeys  the  mandates  of  its  blinded 
parents.  As  the  prodigal  son,  in  Our  Lord’s  parable, 
went  abroad  among  strangers,  and  there  squandered  the 
inheritance  received  from  a  kind  father,  so  do  the  children 
of  our  day  go  forth  from  their  father’s  house,  enter  god¬ 
less  schools,  there  to  waste  away  their  inheritance  of  faith 
and  innocence.  But  these,  alas  !  unlike  the  prodigal  son, 
seldom  come  back  and  say  as  he  did  to  his  father  : 
“  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  before  thee.” 
When,  after  some  years,  they  return  to  their  father’s 
home,  they  are  imperious,  conceited,  cynical,  capricious, 
captious,  selfish,  greedy,  sensual,  untruthful,  haughty,  and 
idle.  They  break  up  the  domestic  peace  of  the  family, 
and  not  unfrequently  bring  to  a  premature  grave  their 
distressed  parents  who  but  too  late  have  discovered  their 
error. 

Thanks  be  to  God  there  are  yet  in  the  world,  struggling 
against  want  of  patronage,  many  places  of  Christian 
schooling  which  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  that  Temple- 
school  at  Jerusalem  in  which  the  Mother  of  God  was  ed¬ 
ucated.  There  are  Catholic  colleges  that  stand  on  a 
truly  religious  foundation,  affording  a  good,  safe,  and 
practical  training  both  for  the  duties  of  the  family  and 
for  public  life,  and  in  which  the  soul  of  the  pupil  and  its 
sanctification  and  elevation  are  held  to  be  of  paramount 
importance :  where  he  is  shielded  and  fortified  against 
the  disastrous  influences  of  an  irreligious  generation. 
Such,  Christian  parents,  is  the  only  safe  school  for  your 
children. 

O  Mary,  best  and  wisest  of  pure  virgins,  I  would  fain 
remind  thee  of  the  countless  advantages,  the  manifold 
graces,  the  bright  enlightenments,  the  precious  counsels 
that  thou  didst  enjoy  during  thy  sojourn  in  the  Temple. 
Therefore,  would  I  also  implore  thee  that  thou  wouldst 
vouchsafe  to  impart  to  our  educational  establishments  the 


92  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

spirit  of  true  wisdom  and  religion  ;  that  thou  wouldst  en¬ 
lighten  and  guide  all  educators  in  the  discharge  of  their 
grave  and  exalted  duties ;  that  thou  wouldst  impress  upon 
the  hearts  of  all  Christian  parents  a  strong  sense  of  their 
obligation  before  God  and  man,  of  confiding  their  chil¬ 
dren’s  education  to  none  but  truly  Christian  educators. 
Thou  knowest  well,  O  wisest  of  virgins,  that  upon  such 
education  depends  the  weal  or  woe  of  whole  nations,  the 
eternal  happiness  or  damnation  of  countless  immortal 
souls. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  MAKES  A  VOW  OF  VIRGINITY. 

FROM  the  Holy  Scriptures  themselves,  as  well  as  from 
the  writings  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  it  is  cer¬ 
tain,  beyond  all  doubt,  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  pronounced 
a  vow  of  perpetual  virginity.  When  the  Archangel  Gabriel 
brought  to  this  highly  privileged  spouse  of  St.  Joseph  the 
glad  tidings  that  she  was  to  become  the  Mother  of  the 
Most  High,  the  astonished  Virgin  asked  :  “  But  how  shall 
this  come  to  pass,  for  I  know  not  man.”  (Luke  i.  34.)  In¬ 
deed,  Mary  could  not  be  in  the  fullest  and  highest  sense 
the  Virgin  of  virgins  had  she  not  willingly  and  unre¬ 
servedly  consecrated  her  virginity  to  the  Lord. 

We  do  not  know  at  what  period  of  her  life  Mary  made 
this  vow.  Yet  with  good  reason  we  may  presume  that 
she  performed  this  solemn  act  of  religion  during  her  so¬ 
journ  in  the  Temple.  Then,  certainly,  circumstances  of 
place  and  time  would  be  most  likely  to  bring  about  such 
an  act  of  devotion. 


Mary  Makes  a  Vow  of  Virginity.  93 

This  vow  was  made  by  Mary  certainly  before  her 
espousal  to  St.  Joseph,  which  event  in  her  life,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  Israelites,  took  place  immediately 
after  her  departure  from  school  at  the  Temple,  when  she 
was  fifteen  years  of  age.  It  is  also  certain  that  she  took 
this  vow  at  the  special  interposition  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  the  full  knowledge  and  perfect  understanding  of 
the  imperatively  binding  effect  and  other  momentous  con¬ 
sequences  of  this  solemn  act  of  religion. 

VOWS  AMONG  THE  JEWS. 

It  would  be  very  "erroneous,  Christian  reader,  to  con¬ 
sider  this  vow  of  perpetual  virginity  made  by  our  blessed 
Mother  as  a  whimsical  act  of  hers,  resulting  from  the 
pious  notions  of  a  young  and  inexperienced  girl,  and 
made  without  special  enlightenment  from  heaven,  or  with¬ 
out  a  keen  sense  of  the  sacrifice  involved. 

This  vow  of  perpetual  virginity  is  a  peculiar,  wonder¬ 
ful  manifestation,  never  till  that  time  known  or  heard  of. 
Throughout  the  entire  history  of  her  people,  Mary 
found  no  example  of  this  nature.  All  the  Jews,  of  every 
race  and  every  tribe  and  every  condition,  even  the  priests 
and  the  high-priests,  held  the  firm  belief  that  they  were  in 
duty  bound  to  embrace  the  married  state.  The  daughter 
of  Jephte,  who  in  consequence  of  an  ill-advised  vow 
made  by  her  father  was  condemned  to  die,  complained, 
not  indeed  of  her  impending  death,  but  because  she  had 
to  die  while  yet  a  virgin.  She  prayed,  therefore,  for  per¬ 
mission  to  go  to  the  mountain,  before  she  would  be  sacri¬ 
ficed,  in  order  there  to  bewail  her  virginity  with  other 
maidens  who  were  her  companions.  (Judges  xi.  38.)  And 
as  we  know  from  the  history  of  St.  Anne,  the  mother  of 
Mary,  it  was  considered  a  disgrace  for  a  woman  to  be 
childless.  Mary,  then,  in  pronouncing  a  vow  of  perpetual 


94  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

virginity,  acted  in  direct  opposition  to  the  spirit  and 
notions  of  her  nation,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  con¬ 
demned  herself  to  a  life  of  reproach.  Content  to  take 
God  for  her  portion,  she  was  too  far  raised  above  the 
joys,  the  comforts,  and  the  other  advantages  of  married 
life,  as  well  as  above  regard  for  those  appearances  that 
persons  of  her  race  and  especially  of  her  situation  in  life 
sought  to  find  in  matrimony.  She  was  perfectly  willing 
with  all  her  heart  to  live  alone  and  neglected  and  with¬ 
out  friends,  in  that  lowly  state  to  which  all  unmarried 
persons  were  subjected  by  reason  of  the  reproach  cast 
upon  such  by  the  customs  of  her  people. 

THE  VOW  AND  THE  PROMISED  REDEEMER. 

Yet  the  sacrifice  made  by  Mary  in  pronouncing  this 
vow  during  her  tenderest  years  was  of  infinitely  great  im¬ 
portance.  She  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Juda  and  knew 
that  from  this  very  tribe  the  promised  and  desired 
Messias  was  to  spring  forth.  She  was  also  of  the  house 
and  family  of  King  David,  and  she  knew,  too,  this  same 
Messias  was  to  be  born  of  that  royal  race.  Moreover, 
many  of  the  prophecies  predicted  that  the  coming  of  the 
Redeemer  was  near  at  hand,  nay,  would  take  place  just 
then,  and  within  Mary’s  lifetime.  Such  was,  indeed,  the 
general  expectation  among  Jews  and  Samaritans.  It  was 
not,  however,  generally  understood  among  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  this  expected  Redeemer  of  the  world 
would  be  conceived  by  a  woman  in  an  altogether  super¬ 
natural,  miraculous,  and  mysterious  manner.  Nay,  even 
the  Blessed  Virgin  appears  to  have  entertained  the 
opinion  that  the  Messias  would  be  born  according  to  the 
laws  of  nature.  Her  words  to  the  angel  demonstrate  this 
opinion  of  her,  for  she  inquired  :  “  How  can  this  come  to 
pass,  for  I  know  not  man.” 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


» & 


5? 


THEY  FOUND  THE  CHILD  WITH  MARY  HIS  MOTHER 


w 


Mary  Makes  a  Vow  of  Virginity. 


95 


Hence,  when  she  made  her  vow  of  virginity  she  re¬ 
nounced,  according  to  the  universally  accepted  opinion  of 
her  own  people,  and  even  according  to  her  own  opinion, 
all  hopes  and  all  thoughts  of  ever  becoming  the  Mother 
of  the  Messias.  This  renunciation  she  made  with  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  facts.  She  made  it  too  through  a  deep 
sense  of  humility,  for  she  deemed  herself  unworthy  the 
high  honor  of  being  the  Mother  of  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world.  If  she  knew  that  He  was  to  be  born  of  another, 
she  would  not  dream  of  envying  the  favored  one. 

My  God,  how  wonderful  are  Thy  ways  !  Thy  wisdom 
accomplishes  its  ends  by  ways  and  means  that  to  us  ap¬ 
pear  contrary  to  Thy  purposes  and  contradictory  within 
themselves.  Who  would  have  thought  at  that  time  that 
this  very  vow  of  perpetual  virginity,  an  act  of  religion  un¬ 
known  among  the  Jews,  or,  if  known,  despised  by  them, 
should  prove  to  be  the  indispensable  condition  for  be¬ 
coming  the  Mother  of  the  God-Man.  In  order  to  merit 
and  secure  the  dignity  of  Mother  of  God,  Mary  was 
obliged  to  first  renounce  all  the  dignity  and  honor  of 
motherhood. 


THE  VOW  IN  CHRISTIANITY. 

King  David,  Mary’s  royal  ancestor,  who  once  saw  her 
in  a  prophetic  vision,  thus  speaks  of  the  virgin  Mother : 
“  After  her,  shall  virgins  be  brought  to  the  king.  They 
shall  be  brought  with  gladness  and  rejoicing ;  they  shall 
be  brought  into  the  temple  of  the  king.”  (Ps.  xliv.  16.) 
Yes,  indeed,  Mary  is  truly  the  first,  the  leader,  the  very 
Queen  of  all  other  virgins.  Previous  to  her  lifetime, 
untouched  virginity,  that  fairest  flower  of  heaven,  was 
hardly  to  be  found  on  earth.  But  since  her  choice  of  that 
holy  state,  and  in  imitation  of  her  example,  that  lovely 
flower  has  sprung  up  and  bloomed  and  blossomed  into 


96  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

heavenly  fruit  in  the  virginal  hearts  and  souls  of  thou¬ 
sands  and  millions  of  daughters  of  the  Church. 

I  allude  here  not  to  the  vows  of  chastity  that  are  so 
sacredly  identified  with  the  priesthood  whether  out  in  the 
world  or  sheltered  behind  religious  ramparts.  I  would 
speak  rather  of  those  angelic  women  who,  in  imitation  of 
their  holy  mistress  and  model,  chose  for  their  part  a  life 
of  perpetual  virginity  in  the  world.  Throughout  all  the 
long  centuries  of  Christianity,  there  have  been  in  the 
Church  heroic  persons,  young  people  of  both  sexes,  who 
by  the  grace  of  God  have  kept  their  souls  pure  and  in¬ 
tact,  and  have  dedicated  to  the  honor  of  God  and  Mary 
the  noblest  attribute  of  their  human  lives,  namely,  an 
untarnished  purity  of  soul  and  body.  Such  persons  have 
had  the  courage  and  such  unbounded  confidence  in 
God’s  assistance  that,  although  living  in  the  world  and 
its  dangers,  though  threatened  by  the  cravings  of  their 
own  individual  passions  and  by  the  temptations  of  the 
devil,  yet  they  have  succeeded  bravely  in  preserving  this 
treasure  even  in  a  frail  earthen  vessel,  have  carried  it 
uninjured  through  life’s  long  journey  here  below,  and 
have  finally  presented  it  to  their  Lord  through  the  hands 
of  the  Blessed  Mother.  Christian  heroes  and  heroines, 
you  who  have  imitated  or  who  still  do  imitate  the  sublime 
example  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  I  admire  your  spirit  of 
sacrifice  more  than  I  do  that  of  the  holy  martyrs,  who  in 
a  few  moments,  or,  at  most,  in  a  few  hours,  finish  their 
contest  and  prove  their  fidelity  to  God  and  their  faith  ; 
while  you  have  to  combat,  to  suffer,  and  to  sacrifice  your 
whole  life  through.  Should  this  book  fall  into  the  hands 
of  such  a  brave,  virginal  soul  who,  in  the  midst  of  worldly 
sensuality,  like  a  lily  amid  the  thorns,  blooms  and  brings 
forth  fruit  only  for  the  honor  or  love  of  his  Creator ;  or 
should  it  fall  in  the  hands  of  some  chaste  persons  who 
have  not  yet  decided  upon  any  future  course  of  life,  and 


Mary  Makes  a  Vow  of  Virginity 


97 


yet  in  the  depths  of  their  hearts  feel  the  courage,  the 
impulse,  the  call  from  heaven  to  dedicate  themselves  en¬ 
tirely  to  God,  then  would  I  venture  to  say  to  such  highly 
privileged  spouses  of  Christ :  Be  brave  and  steadfast, 
favored  souls.  With  joy  and  veneration  do  the  angels 
look  down  upon  you,  for  you  resemble  themselves. 
With  motherly  affection  and  with  mighty  power  does  the 
immaculate  Virgin  Mary  throw  her  sheltering  cloak 
around  you,  for  you  are  her  pupils  and  imitators.  With 
the  sweetness  of  divine  love  the  heavenly  Bridegroom 
will  fill  your  heart  and  more  than  compensate  you  for  the 
fleeting,  transient,  worldly  love  that  you  have  laid  down  at 
His  feet.  The  eternal  Judge  will  find  you  waiting  like 
the  wise  and  prudent  virgins  who  all  through  life  carry 
in  their  hands  the  pure  oblation  of  love  and  the  burning 
light  of  good  example.  Therefore  He  will  invite  you  to 
the  eternal  wedding-feast  in  heaven. 

The  virtuous  maiden  has  in  the  world  a  high  and  noble 
Sphere  of  duty.  By  her  prayer  she  effects  a  great  amount 
of  good.  By  her  virtuous  example  she  can  work  an 
immense  beneficial  influence  on  her  fellow-beings.  By 
her  quiet  and  disinterested  spirit  of  sacrifice  she  can  dis¬ 
charge  vast  and  varied  duties  of  benevolence.  Is  not  the 
Christian  maiden  who,  according  to  the  teachings  of  St. 
Paul,  thinks  only  of  what  appertains  to  God,  and  is  busied 
solely  with  her  efforts  to  preserve  purity  of  mind  and 
body,  is  she  not,  so  to  speak,  a  holy  temple  in  which  God 
may  dwell  ?  Her  heart  becomes  a  very  altar  on  which 
burns  the  incense  of  devout  prayer. 

The  unthinking  person  may  ask  :  Of  what  use  in  this 
busy,  practical  world  is  the  female  who  does  not  marry 
and'  thus  found  a  family  ?  We  answer  :  She  prays,  she 
frequents  our  sanctuaries,  from  which  many  of  our  people 
are  necessarily  kept  away  by  their  family  cares  and 
occupations. 

7 


98  Mary  Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  God. 

The  maiden  prays  with  a  pure  and  undivided  heart. 
She  brings  to  God  in  that  undivided  heart  a  pleasing 
and  acceptable  sacrifice  which  she  is,  strictly  speaking,  not 
obliged  to  make  ;  hence  she  propitiates  heaven  and  brings 
down  its  blessings  and  graces  on  the  hearts  of  sinners  and 
on  a  world  made  arid  by  the  stifling  heat  of  passion. 

By  her  example,  the  Christian  maiden  may  become  an 
eloquent  and  effective  preacher  of  good.  The  vain  and 
thoughtless  rush  headlong  through  the  highways  of  ava¬ 
rice,  pleasure,  and  even  of  sensuality,  forgetful  of  God  and 
of  their  own  eternal  destiny.  If  in  their  wanderings 
they  meet  a  noble  and  self-denying  maiden,  they  find  in 
her  a  gentle  monitor,  an  earnest  guide,  a  just  reproach  to 
their  forgetfulness  of  their  own  eternal  welfare,  a  rebuke 
to  their  ignorance  of  their  own  spiritual  danger.  Hence 
it  may  well  happen  that  these  quiet  monitors  frequently 
incur,  to  a  very  unlimited  extent,  the  scoffs  and  general 
disfavor  of  the  votaries  of  the  world. 

Those  Christians  who  are  able  to  offer  themselves  up 
to  God,  are  by  consequence  able  and  willing  to  dedicate 
themselves  to  the  welfare  of  their  fellow-beings.  Observe 
the  countless  multitudes  of  those  daughters  of  the  Church 
who,  like  an  army  in  full  march,  are  pressing  forward  in 
unselfish  eagerness,  ready  to  support  their  Church,  or,  if 
need  be,  to  bring  aid  and  comfort  to  every  grade  of  human 
misery.  They  have  taken  leave  of  their  families  and 
bidden  farewell  to  the  domestic  happiness  of  their 
mother’s  home.  Hence  they  are  free  and  untrammelled 
and  prepared  to  direct  their  steps  wherever  the  voice  of 
God  calls  them.  Neither  sword  nor  fire,  nor  contagion, 
nor  death  itself  can  extinguish  the  fires  of  divine  charity 
glowing  in  their  breasts.  They  are  to  be  found  on  the 
battle-field,  comforting  the  dying,  alleviating  their  suffer¬ 
ings,  and  pointing  towards  heaven.  They  glide  silently 
among  the  beds  in  the  hospitals,  tending  the  sick ;  and  in 


Mary  Makes  a  Vow  of  Virginity. 


99 


the  discharge  of  this  labor  of  love  inhaling  the  poisoned 
and  infected  atmosphere,  never  once  thinking  that  the 
next  morning’s  sun  may  rise  on  their  own  death-beds. 
Carried  on  the  wings  of  charity,  they  hurry  through  the 
streets  of  our  city,  and  are  nowhere  so  numerous  as  when 
and  where  the  danger  is  greatest.  Wherever  tears  are  to 
be  dried,  wounds  to  be  healed,  the  naked  to  be  clothed, 
the  hungry  to  be  fed,  there  are  the  virgin  daughters  of  the 
Church  to  be  found.  How  many  glorious  deeds  of  self- 
sacrifice  performed  by  maidens  in  the  honored  garb  of 
religion,  and  as  well  by  the  daughters  of  the  Church  in 
the  simpler  garb  of  the  world,  will  be  revealed  to  the 
world  on  the  Last  Day,  when  the  Supreme  Judge  and  Re¬ 
warder  of  good  shall  appear.  Then  shall  we  learn  how 
much  many  a  father  and  many  a  mother,  who  perhaps 
gave  a  slow  and  reluctant  consent  to  the  choice  of  their 
daughters,  are  indebted  for  their  own  salvation  to  the 
merits  of  a  virtuous  child  of  theirs,  of  a  pure  and  innocence- 
crowned  soul.  What  a  wealth  of  good  works  will  be  there 
presented  to  our  admiring  gaze  !  O  Mary,  virgin  conse¬ 
crated  to  God  !  awake,  maintain,  increase  in  all  young 
and  innocent  hearts  sentiments  of  holy  purity.  Raise  up 
in  these  times  of  ours,  so  given  over  to  sensual  gratifica¬ 
tion,  many  models  and  examples  of  sublime  self-denial. 
Strengthen,  guide,  and  keep  under  thy  care  those  heroic 
souls  who  have  already  entered  on  the  rough  and  narrow 
way  so  shunned  and  condemned  by  worldlings.  Encourage 
these  valiant  maidens,  by  directing  their  thoughts  and, 
hopes  to  the  unfading  crowns  awaiting  them  in  heaven 
where  the  the  virgins  are  singing  a  new  canticle  before 
the  throne  of  God,  and  following  the  Lamb  in  a  white- 
robed  procession.  (Apoc.  xiv.  3.) 


PART  III. 

ESPOUSED  TO  ST.  JOSEPH. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  LEAVES  THE  TEMPLE.— SHE 
IS  ESPOUSED  TO  ST.  JOSEPH. 


MARY  BECOMES  AN  ORPHAN 


LOUDLESS,  bright,  and  fleeting  as  a  fair  spring 


X—*  morning,  passed  the  twelve  happy  years  spent  by 
Mary  within  the  secluded  and  peaceful  precincts  of  the 
Temple.  But  now  a  grave  and  painful  event  breaks  in 
upon  her  happiness  and  fills  her  hitherto  peaceful  heart 
with  sadness ;  for  about  this  time,  as  tradition  avers, 
St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne  both  died,  and  Mary  became 
an  orphan. 

A  secret  presentiment  of  the  approaching  bereavement 
had  already  taken  possession  of  her  heart.  But  as  the 
will  of  God  was  the  only  rudder  of  her  life  and  of  her 
own  will  she  submitted  uncomplainingly  to  Divine  Provi¬ 
dence,  and  with  a  ready  heart  offered  up  to  God  the 
sacrifice  that  He  was  now  about  to  require  at  her  hands. 
First,  as  we  are  told,  she  heard  the  sad  news  of  the 
approaching  death  of  her  tenderly  beloved  father.  Prob¬ 
ably  she  was  permitted  to  hasten  to  his  bedside,  to 
cherish  him,  to  comfort  him  in  his  last  hours,  and  to  re- 


100 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Leaves  the  Temple.  ±01 

ceive  his  dying  blessing.  With  what  love,  with  what 
terderness,  with  what  resignation  of  soul  she  discharged 
these  filial  duties !  When  the  earthly  bonds  of  the 
venerable  patriarch  begun  gradually  and  gently  to  dis¬ 
solve,  how  fervently  she  renewed  in  her  heart,  during 
every  succeeding  moment,  her  sacrifice  of  separation  from 
her  father,  and  poured  out  her  thanks  for  having  had  so 
good  a  parent,  as  well  as  for  his  happy  and  edifying 
death. 

As  one  trial  seldom  comes  unaccompanied  by  another, 
so  in  this  instance  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  add  to  this 
one  still  another  even  more  painful.  During  their  long 
and  God-fearing  lives,  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne  had 
been  closely  united  in  their  constant  love  for  God  and  for 
each  other.  In  the  hours  of  sorrow  and  in  time  of 
happiness  they  were  as  one.  Becoming,  then,  it  was  that 
in  death  they  should  not  be  kept  far  apart.  St.  Anne 
soon  followed  her  lamented  companion  to  the  grave. 
This  was,  if  possible,  a  deeper  sorrow,  a  keener  pang  for 
the  already  afflicted  heart  of  the  Blessed  Virgin ;  for  she 
now  felt  that  she  was  indeed  an  orphan.  Poor,  neglected, 
and  alone,  she  knelt  over  the  graves  that  contained  all 
that  was  dear  to  her  on  earth.  But  raising  her  tearful 
eyes,  her  trembling  hands,  and  her  bleeding  heart  towards 
heaven,  with  unbounded  confidence  she  threw  herself 
into  the  fatherly  embrace  of  God,  and  repeated  the  words 
of  David,  her  own  royal  ancestor :  “  Be  Thou  my  helper, 
forsake  me  not,  do  not  Thou  despise  me,  O  God  my 
Saviour.  For  my  father  and  my  mother  have  left  me  :  but 
the  Lord  hath  taken  me  up.  Set  me,  O  Lord,  a  law  in 
Thy  way  and  guide  me  in  the  right  path.”  (Ps.  xxvi.  9-1 1.) 

SHE  DEPARTS  FROM  THE  TEMPLE. 

Springtime  cannot  last  always.  In  nature’s  year  as 
well  as  in  man’s  life  its  moments  are  but  too  transient 


1 02 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


and  fleeting.  The  Blessed  Virgin  had  now  completed 
her  fourteenth  year.  Owing  to  the  rapid  and  early  devel¬ 
opment  of  mind  and  body  peculiar  to  the  Eastern  climes, 
she  was  even  at  that  tender  age  a  full-grown,  beautiful 
young  woman,  fair  to  every  beholder,  as  Jericho’s  fairest 
rose.  Her  education  in  the  Temple  was  now  completed, 
and  she  found  herself  standing  on  the  solemn  threshold 
of  life,  with  its  unknown  dangers  and  grave  duties  staring 
her  in  the  face.  The  priests  of  the  sanctuary  announce 
to  her  that  the  time  has  arrived,  when,  in  accordance 
with  the  custom  of  her  nation,  and  even  with  the  law  as 
given  by  Moses,  she  should  be  placed  under  the  protec¬ 
tion  of  a  suitable  husband  ;  adding  also  that  this  step 
should  be  taken  even  with  less  delay,  inasmuch  as  she 
was  an  orphan  without  a  safe  and  suitable  home,  and 
alone  and  unprotected  in  the  world.  Even  if  the  death 
of  her  beloved  parents  had  not  succeeded  in  awakening 
the  innocent  maiden  from  the  pleasant  dream  of  child¬ 
hood,  this  decision  and  declaration  of  the  priests  would 
have  caused  her  to  realize  tile  fact  that  she  must  now  no 
longer  depend  on  her  preceptors,  or  shield  herself  behind 
the  protecting  walls  of  her  school.  Should  she  venture 
to  unveil  to  her  superiors  the  delicate  treasure  of  her 
heart,  the  secret,  though  well-advised,  vow  of  perpetual 
virginity?  But  even  the  Jewish  priests  would  not  have 
understood,  and  certainly  would  have  appreciated  still 
less,  this  heroic  determination  of  hers,  for  it  stood  in  direct 
opposition  to  all  the  notions  and  even  to  the  laws  of  her 
nation. 

But  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  made  this  vow  not  to 
please  men,  but  out  of  pure  love  for  God.  Not  from  men, 
therefore,  but  from  God,  did  she  hope  and  expect  to  re¬ 
ceive  help  and  strength.  Her  tears  moved  heaven,  her 
prayers  reached  the  throne  of  grace  and  were  heard. 
While  at  her  devotions  she  received  an  assurance  from 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Leaves  the  Temple .  103 

heaven  that  the  Almighty  Himself  would  enable  her  to 
keep  her  vow  ;  that  He  would  provide  for  her  a  spouse, 
who,  instead  of  being  an  obstacle,  would  be  a  true,  holy, 
and  just  protector  of  her  virginity. 

The  pious  maiden  believed  firmly  that  she  would  dis¬ 
cover  in  her  heart  the  divine  will.  But  the  priests  per¬ 
sisted  in  their  purpose.  She  was  forced,  therefore,  to  the 
sad  conclusion  that  she  must  take  leave  of  her  happy  abode 
in  the  Temple.  At  the  very  thought  of  the  coming  separa¬ 
tion,  her  heart  was  stirred  to  its  depths  with  grief  and  deso¬ 
lation.  Here  she  had  passed  twelve  happy  and  blessed 
years,  dwelling  near  to  God’s  presence.  Here  she  had 
been  loved  and  cherished  with  the  tenderest  affection  by 
her  priests,  teachers,  and  companions.  Now  her  heart 
was  filled  with  a  mysterious  misgiving  concerning  her 
future  life,  and  she  would  gladly  have  sheltered  herself  for¬ 
ever  behind  the  Temple  walls  from  the  impending  storms 
of  the  future.  Once  again,  before  leaving,  she  visited  all 
her  favorite  spots  in  the  garden,  every  cherished  room  in 
her  school.  Again  she  repeated  to  the  Most  High  the 
most  heartfelt,  the  most  deep-seated,  and  sincere  acts  of 
gratitude  for  all  the  pious  teachings,  benefits,  and  graces 
received  within  its  walls.  Over  and  over  again  she  ex¬ 
pressed  to  the  chief  priests,  to  her  devoted  teachers,  and 
to  her  sorrowing  companions,  her  sincere  thanks  for  their 
unceasing  kindness  to  her  throughout  the  twelve  years 
she  had  passed  in  their  midst.  She  humbly  asked  their 
pardon  for  all  her  shortcomings,  and  for  any  pain  of  which 
she  might  have  been  the  unwilling  cause.  All  those  whose 
happy  privilege  it  was  to  have  known  the  Blessed  Virgin 
were  deeply  pained  to  see  this  pious  and  affectionate  soul 
taking  her  departure.  It  was  now  twelve  years  since  she 
had  come  to  the  school  in  the  Temple  little  more  than  an 
infant.  Now  grown  to  woman’s  estate,  she  descends  its 
grand  staircase,  on  her  way  to  the  turbid  and  uncertain 


104  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 

world  before  her.  Behind  her,  in  the  Temple  itself,  it 
seemed  as  if  its  light  in  the  sanctuary  had  gone  out,  and 
the  angel  of  the  altar  had  vanished. 

CHOICE  OF  A  SPOUSE. 

As  Mary  was  the  last  living  female  descendant  of  her 
tribe,  and  at  the  same  time  a  daughter  of  inheritance,  the 
law  required  of  her  that  she  should  wed  one  of  her  own 
tribe.  “  And  this  is  the  law  promulgated  by  the  Lord 
touching  the  daughters.  Let  them  marry  to  whom  they 
will,  only  so  that  it  be  to  men  of  their  own  tribe  ;  lest  the 
possession  of  the  children  of  Israel  be  mingled  from 
tribe  to  tribe.  For  all  men  shall  marry  wives  of  their 
own  tribe  and  kindred  ;  and  all  women  shall  take  hus¬ 
bands  of  the  same  tribe;  that  the  inheritance  may  remain 
in  the  families,  and  that  the  tribes  be  not  mingled  one  with 
another  but  remain  so.”  (Num.  xxxvi.  6-9.) 

Mary’s  late  preceptors  in  the  Temple,  in  union  with  the 
priests,  called  together  all  the  eligible  unmarried  men  of 
the  house  of  David,  in  order  that  from  among  them  should 
be  chosen,  in  the  usual  manner,  a  suitable  husband  for 
the  daughter  of  Joachim  and  Anne.  Already  had  the 
name  of  Mary  become  well  known.  Owing  to  her  great 
personal  beauty  aswTell  as  on  account  of  her  extraordinary 
virtues,  she  had  unwittingly  acquired  a  widespread  reputa¬ 
tion.  She  had,  moreover,  received  a  very  thorough  educa¬ 
tion,  was  sprung  from  an  ancient  and  honored  royal  family, 
and  was  not  entirely  devoid  of  a  dowry,  small  though  it 
was.  When  a  bride  among  the  Jews  was  not  a  daughter 
of  inheritance,  then  the  bridegroom  endowed  the  bride, 
very  seldom  receiving  a  marriage  portion  from  her  or  from 
her  parents.  Thus  it  is  certain  that  in  this  case  the 
sons  of  the  best  families  were  present,  and  that  any  one 
of  them  would  have  considered  himself  fortunate  to  be 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Leaves  the  Temple .  105 

permitted,  to  conduct  this  noble  maiden  to  his  home  as 
his  bride. 

When  all  whose  business  it  was  to  take  part  in  this  selec¬ 
tion  of  a  spouse  for  Mary  had  met  together  in  the  outer  hall 
of  the  Temple,  their  first  act  was  to  unite  in  a  fervent  prayer 
to  the  God  of  their  fathers,  beseeching  Him  as  the  Director 
and  Guide  of  all  human  affairs  to  so  direct  them  now  that 
their  choice  might  be  in  accordance  with  His  holy  will. 
They  then  proceeded  to  cast  lots,  for  such  was  their  an¬ 
cient  practice  in  such  affairs.*  Those  among  the  young 
men  who  flattered  themselves  on  being  in  the  possession 
of  means,  of  mental  acquirements,  and  of  good  personal 
appearance  were  confident  and  hopeful,  and  watched 
eagerly  the  result  of  the  lottery.  But  there  was  one  man 
who  stood  apart,  though  still  complying  with  the  require¬ 
ments  of  the  case.  Retiring,  humble,  and  modest,  he  stood 
with  downcast  eyes,  unnoticed  by  any  around  him,  for 
he  was  old  and  evidently  a  member  of  the  working-class 
of  people.  He  had  come  to  the  gathering  because  the 
law  required  the  presence  of  all  unmarried  men  on  such 
occasions,  and  their  participation  in  the  ceremonies.  But 
whether  this  hesitating  and  retiring  person  had  no  inten¬ 
tion  nor  desire  to  marry,  or  whether  he  considered  him¬ 
self  unworthy  to  expect  the  hand  and  heart  of  so  noble 
and  virtuous  a  maiden,  he  prayed  to  the  Lord  with  child¬ 
like  simplicity  and  earnestness  that  He  would  not  per¬ 
mit  the  lot  to  fall  upon  him. 

Here  again,  Christian  reader,  recognize  clearly  and 
with  satisfaction,  the  wonderful  power  of  Divine  Provi¬ 
dence.  Contrary  to  all  human  expectations  and  in  op¬ 
position  to  the  hopes  and  wishes  of  all,  the  lot  fell  upon 

*  St.  Jerome  and  the  ancient  writers  relate  that  every  aspirant  fora 
bride  had  to  present  an  olive  branch  with  his  name  written  on  it.  He 
whose  branch  began  to  blossom  during  the  night  was  the  chosen 
bridegroom. 


io6  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 

the  aged,  humble  man  who  stood  apart.  He  alone  corre¬ 
sponded  to  the  mysterious  designs  which  God  had  in  view, 
making  him  the  guardian  and  defender  of  the  purity  of 
heart  of  the  bride  and  spouse  of  Heaven.  This  holy  and 
venerable  and  privileged  man,  has  been  from  that  hour  to 
the  present  day  revered,  esteemed,  highly  favored,  highly 
honored,  and  dearly  beloved.  Wherever  and  whenever, 
throughout  God’s  earth,  the  holy  names  of  Jesus  and 
Mary  are  mentioned  with  love  and  confidence,  there  is 
never  missing  the  glorious  name  of  St.  Joseph. 

Although  this  result  of  the  casting  of  lots  was  not  such 
as  to  flatter,  judging  by  outward  appearances  at  least, 
any  ordinary  bride,  yet  Mary  with  her  whole  heart 
gladly  accepted  the  result ;  for  in  her  inmost  soul  she  felt 
assured,  indeed  she  heard  a  mysterious  voice  assuring  her, 
that  this  bridegroom  was  the  one  destined  and  set  apart 
by  God  to  respect,  honor,  and  protect  her  sacred  vow  of 
virginity.  Moreover,  she  felt  in  her  heart  a  leaning  to¬ 
wards  this  venerable  servant  of  God,  that  was  founded  in 
sentiments  of  esteem,  veneration  for  him,  and  in  a  mutual 
love  for  God. 


THE  ESPOUSALS. 

In  accordance  with  the  custom  of  their  people,  the  be¬ 
trothal  of  Mary  and  Joseph  was  solemnized  without  delay. 
The  youthful  and  immaculate  bride,  in  all  her  natural  and 
supernatural  beauty,  shone  with  all  the  brilliancy  of  the 
rising  sun.  A  delicate  blush  of  modesty  sat  upon  her 
brow,  her  cheeks  were  mantled  with  the  glow  of  ruddy 
health,  and  her  eyes  were  brilliant  with  the  light  of  holy 
purity,  as  St.  Joseph  placed  upon  her  finger  a  plain  and 
simple  ring  *  as  a  symbol  of  the  endurance  and  endless¬ 
ness  of  their  mutual  love. 

*  In  the  Church  of  St.  Lawrence  in  Perugia  this  ring  is  still  pre¬ 
served,  and  every  year  on  the  3d  of  August  it  is  shown  to  the  people; 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Leaves  the  Temple.  107 

If  God  was  pleased  to  choose,  in  this  way,  St.  Joseph 
to  be  the  spouse  of  the  Queen  of  angels  and  the  future 
foster-father  of  the  Son  of  God,  it  was  because  this  simple 
and  unpretending  man  possessed  rich  treasures  of  sanctity 
and  grace,  such  indeed  as  the  very  angels  in  heaven 
might  envy.  He  was  chosen  because  his  virtues  elevated 
him,  in  the  eyes  of  God,  higher  than  the  highest  in  the 
land.  In  the  Book  of  Life  his  name  stood  forth,  inscribed 
in  letters  of  gold,  more  brilliant  than  that  of  the  greatest 
earthly  potentate.  The  Virgin  was  given,  therefore,  not 
to  the  mightiest,  nor  to  the  richest,  but  to  the  most  humble 
and  most  worthy  son  of  Nazareth. 

A  few  months  later,  the  ever-blessed  Virgin  was  es¬ 
poused  to  St.  Joseph.  The  ceremony  took  place  amid 
pomp  and  solemnity,  as  was  customary  even  among  the 
poorer  classes  in  Israel.  But  the  grandest  and  most 
brilliant  splendor  of  the  feast  shone  forth  from  the 
chaste,  God-loving,  God-fearing  souls  of  the  bride  and 
bridegroom. 

As  now,  by  this  important  and  significant  ceremony, 
the  ever-blessed  Virgin  was  entrusted  to  the  protecting 
arm  of  St.  Joseph,  as  she  was  henceforth  to  honor  and 
obey  him  and  to  love  him  sincerely,  devotedly,  and  trust¬ 
ingly,  as  her  friend,  spouse,  and  protector,  you,  Christian 
reader,  would  know  and  understand  but  very  imperfectly 
the  life  of  your  blessed  Mother  if  you  did  not  also  at  the 
same  time  learn  to  know  the  life,  adorned  as  it  is  with 
many  virtues,  of  her  holy  spouse,  who  assumed  so  impor¬ 
tant  a  place  in  the  great  plan  of  man’s  redemption. 

Are  you,  Christian  reader,  a  zealous  and  devoted  ser¬ 
vant  of  St.  Joseph?  If  you  are  not,  then  you  must  not 
flatter  yourself  that  you  are  a  true  and  devoted  child  of 
Mary,  his  spouse. 

pious  bridal  couples  have  their  rings  touched  to  it.  (  J.  B.  Lauri 
Perusini,  Continent,  de  annulo pronubo  Deiparcevirginis.  Colon,  1626.) 


io8 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


Some  notice,  then,  of  the  life  of  this  grand  and  holy 
patriarch  may  serve  to  stimulate  your  love  and  veneration 
both  for  St.  Joseph  himself  and  for  his  immaculate 
spouse. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ST.  JOSEPH  IS  PREPARED  BY  THE  GRACE  OF  GOD 
AND  HIS  OWN  CO-OPERATION  FOR  HIS  HIGH  AND 

HOLY  OFFICE. 

WHEN  we  consider  the  high  dignity  bestowed 
upon  St.  Joseph  during  his  lifetime  and  after  his 
death,  both  on  earth  and  in  heaven  ;  when  we  realize  the 
praise  bestowed  upon  him  by  the  Holy  Ghost  in  styling  him 
“  a  just  man  ;  ”  when,  from  the  sanctity  of  his  pure  spouse, 
we  infer  his  own  holiness,  we  must  feel  convinced  beyond 
all  doubt  that  he  was  a  vessel  of  abounding  grace  and  a 
man  of  the  most  glorious  personal  virtues  ;  that  he  passed 
his  youth  in  holy  innocence  and  the  salutary  fear  of  the 
Lord,  and  in  prayer  and  labor ;  thus  constituting  him  a 
most  perfect  and  attractive  model  for  every  Christian 
young  man. 


ST.  JOSEPH  IS  A  VESSEL  OF  GRACE. 

As  Mary,  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  and  St.John,  His  holy 
forerunner,  were  called  into  existence,  not  so  much  through 
the  natural  intervention  of  their  pious  parents  as  through 
a  miracle  of  grace  wrought  by  the  omnipotence  of  God, 
we  may,  therefore,  with  good  reason  suppose  that  the 
foster-father  of  the  Redeemer  was  also  a  child  of  grace 
from  heaven. 


Si.  Joseph  Prepared for  his  High  and  Holy  Office,  x  09 

As  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne  loved,  nurtured,  and 
guarded  their  daughter  from  the  first  moment  of  her  ex¬ 
istence  as  a  precious  gift  from  heaven,  so,  too,  did  St. 
Joseph’s  father,  Jacob,  in  union  with  his  devout  wife,  offer 
up  their  child  to  God  at  the  time  of  his  birth.  This 
offering  they  from  day  to  day  renewed,  sanctified,  and 
augmented  by  the  prayers  and  other  good  works  which 
they  performed  for  the  benefit  of  their  beloved  son.  But 
with  still  more  care,  and  with  still  deeper  love  than  a 
human  parent’s  heart  is  capable  of,  did  the  all-seeing  eye 
of  the  Father  in  heaven  watch  over  His  chosen  and  favor¬ 
ite  boy,  Joseph. 

Having  been  trained  in  his  childhood  and  taught  his 
prayers  and  the  first  elements  of  knowledge  by  his  devoted 
parents,  St.  Joseph  then  received  an  education  in  keeping 
with  the  circumstances  and  necessities  of  those  times. 
His  literary  attainments  were  confined  principally  to  the 
one  necessary  branch,  namely,  a  knowledge  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  and  of  God’s  wonderful  works  and  dispensa¬ 
tions  contained  in  them,  but  more  especially  of  the  hope¬ 
ful  expectation  of  the  early  coming  of  the  Saviour  of 
mankind.  As  he  read  these  holy  pages,  how  his  young 
heart  throbbed  with  a  holy  longing;  how  his  youthful 
imagination  pictured  to  itself  the  splendor  and  glory  of 
the  future  kingdom  of  God  !  Yet  he  never  dreamt  that 
he  himself  would  be  one  of  its  earliest  mainstays  and 
ornaments.  This  unusually  clear  and  profound  compre¬ 
hension  of  the  Scriptures  by  St.  Joseph  was,  of  course,  the 
effect  of  divine  grace. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  traits  in  the  character  of 
our  saint,  and  one  which  shone  with  the  quiet  but  steady 
and  constant  brilliancy  of  a  fixed  star,  was  his  ever-re¬ 
curring  submission  to  the  holy  will  of  God.  He  would 
rather  look  for  a  miracle,  for  an  apparition  from  heaven, 
than  act  according  to  his  own  discretion.  This  complete 


no 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 

submission  to  God’s  providence  had  the  effect  of  implant¬ 
ing  in  the  boy’s  soul  that  germ  of  heaven’s  grace,  which 
carried  him  uninjured  through  the  storms  and  battles  of 
early  manhood. 

A  second  and  no  less  admirable  characteristic  of  St. 
Joseph  was  his  preference  for  a  quiet,  retired,  and  silent 
life.  What  would  he  do  in  the  tumult  of  public  life  ? 
What  would  he  talk  about,  he  in  the  sanctuary  of  whose 
heart  heaven’s  bliss  was  dwelling  and  everlasting  truth 
shining?  This  quiet  retirement  afforded  him  ample  time 
and  opportunity  for  prayer  and  gave  him  a  relish  and  taste 
for  the  enjoyment  of  holy  meditation.  Gently  and  grad¬ 
ually,  yet  powerfully  and  effectively,  grace  raised  his  heart 
to  that  sacred  and  sublime  nearness  to  God  in  which  he 
was  to  dwell  for  nearly  thirty  subsequent  years,  during  the 
lifetime  of  Jesus  Christ. 

st.  Joseph’s  struggles  and  victories. 

Do  not  suppose,  Christian  reader,  that  the  grace  of  God 
had  wedded  the  heart  of  St.  Joseph  so  closely  to  heaven, 
and  with  such  irresistible  force,  that  it  could  not  be 
reached  by  the  emotions  of  its  own  concupiscence  and  the 
enticements  of  the  world  and  of  hell.  The  life  of  every 
man  on  earth  is  a  battle.  But  our  youthful  saint,  strongly 
fortified  with  grace,  knew  how  to  do  battle  afid  to  defend 
himself.  What  St.  Paul  at  a  later  day  demanded  from 
every  Christian,  that  did  St.  Joseph  perform  even  before 
God,  the  Truth  Eternal,  had  taught  us  by  the  lips  of  His 
only  begotten  Son  the  mode  of  warfare  we  are  to  follow. 

“  Put  you  on  the  armor  of  God,  that  you  may  be  able 
to  stand  against  the  deceits  of  the  devil ;  for  our  wrestling 
is  not  against  flesh  and  blood :  but  against  principalities 
and  powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the  world  of  this  dark¬ 
ness  against  the  spirits  of  wickedness  in  the  high  places. 


Ill 


Sf.  Joseph  Prepared for  his  High  and  Holy  Office. 

Therefore  take  unto  you  the  armor  of  God,  that  you 
may  be  able  to  resist  in  the  evil  day,  and  to  stand  in  all 
things  perfect.  Stand  therefore  having  your  loins  girt 
about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the  breast-plate  of 
justice,  and  your  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the 
gospel  of  peace :  in  all  things  taking  the  shield  of 
faith,  wherewith  you  may  be  able  to  extinguish  all  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  most  wicked  one :  and  take  unto  you 
the  helmet  of  salvation  :  and  the  sword  of  the  spirit 
(which  is  the  word  of  God).  By  all  prayer  and  supplica¬ 
tion  praying  at  all  times  in  the  spirit :  and  in  the  same 
watching  with  all  instance.”  (Eph.  vi.  11-18.) 

But  besides  these  weapons  of  the  spirit  and  of  prayer, 
St.  Joseph  did  not  neglect  to  make  use  of  natural  helps. 
Among  these,  the  principal  and  most  effective  is  untiring 
industry.  The  truth  taught  by  St.  Benedict,  one  of  the 
best  and  most  experienced  teachers  of  asceticism  (Bene¬ 
dict,  Peg.,  cap.  48),  that  idleness  is  an  enemy  of  man’s 
soul,  was  already  revealed  to  St.  Joseph’s  enlightened 
mind.  Hence  he  resolved,  descendant  though  he  was  of 
an  ancient  and  renowned  royal  family,  to  learn  and  to 
follow  the  trade  of  a  carpenter.  And  as  with  skill,  in¬ 
dustry,  and  perseverance,  he  formed  shapely  articles  out  of 
the  rough  lumber,  he  at  the  same  time  moulded  more  and 
more  his  own  soul  after  the  ever-beautiful  likeness  of  God. 

In  this  way,  too,  by  grace  and  his  own  efforts,  St.  Joseph 
sanctified  himself  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  designs  of 
God.  That  he  was  really  dead  to  the  world  and  its 
pleasures  appears  from  a  special  circumstance.  The  holy 
Fathers  assure  us  that,  like  the  ever-blessed  Virgin,  St. 
Joseph  in  his  youth,  contrary  to  the  customs  and  opinions 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  made  a  vow  of  perpetual  virginity. 

This  opinion  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  St.  Joseph 
at  the  time  of  his  betrothal  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  was 
very  old,  having  passed  far  beyond  the  years  when  the 


1 1  2 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


young  men  of  Palestine  usually  entered  on  the  holy  state 
of  matrimony.*  Had  not  God  ordained  otherwise,  and 
had  not  the  law  of  his  country  so  demanded,  he  would 
gladly  have  made  a  sacrifice  in  this  case.  His  course  of 
action  under  the  present  circumstances  but  shows  forth 
more  clearly  to  our  view  the  rich  treasures  of  nobility  and 
sanctity  concealed  within  his  humble  breast.  Here,  too, 
we  discover  a  strong  resemblance  between  the  two  hearts 
of  Mary  and  Joseph. 

Christian  young  man  !  look  boldly  into  that  shining 
mirror  presented  to  your  contemplation  in  the  life  of  St. 
Joseph.  Study  it  well,  in  order  that  you  may  be  appalled 
at  the  sad  picture  of  deformity  in  which  your  own  entire 
life,  but  especially  the  years  of  your  youth,  are  depicted. 

Has  not  the  same  eye  of  God  watched  over  you  with 
equal  care  from  your  earliest  years  ?  Did  not  a  pious,  pru¬ 
dent  father  and  a  devout,  anxious  mother  kneel  at  the  side 
of  your  crib  ?  Have  not  the  torrents  of  God’s  holy  grace 
flowed  in  upon  your  soul  in  the  waters  of  your  baptism  ? 
Have  not  the  sunny  rays  of  God’s  blessing  shone  upon 
you  in  the  innocent  days  of  your  childhood?  Did  not 
your  Lord  and  your  Saviour  enter  into  your  very  being 
with  all  His  divine  substance  on  the  day  of  your  First  Com¬ 
munion  ?  Did  not  the  Spirit  of  Truth  and  Fortitude 
ennoble  and  fortify  your  soul,  making  you,  in  holy  Confir¬ 
mation,  a  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ?  Surely,  in  considera¬ 
tion  of  these  and  so  many  other  graces,  your  blessed 
Lord  can  with  right  and  truth  say  to  your  soul :  “  What 
is  there  that  I  ought  to  do  more  to  my  vineyard,  that  I 
have  not  done  to  it.”  (Is.  v.  4.) 

In  this,  your  model,  discover  the  way  that  leads  to  both 
earthly  and  eternal  happiness  ;  the  way  to  internal  and 
external  peace.  If,  hitherto,  you  have  trod  the  ways  of 


*  St.  Epiphanius  gives  his  age  at  eighty  years. 


Why  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph.  113 

God’s  commandments  without  grievous  errors,  St.  Joseph 
will  strengthen  and  steady  you  in  your  virtuous  course. 
Pray  to  him  for  perseverance.  If,  perchance,  an  occasional 
passing  storm  has  withered  the  flowers  of  your  innocence 
and  of  love  for  God,  do  not  despond.  His  powerful 
intercession  will  raise  you  up  from  your  fall,  guard  you 
against  future  falls,  and  comfort  you  with  God’s  grace 
God’s  peace,  God’s  love.  But  forget  not  this  truth : 
There  is  no  triumph  without  a  battle ;  without  victory 
there  can  be  no  crown. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WHY  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  WAS  ESPOUSED  TO 

ST.  JOSEPH. 

ON  first  thought  we  are  somewhat  surprised  and  dis¬ 
concerted,  perhaps  disedified,  at  the  mere  mention 
of  the  marriage  ceremony  between  the  Blessed  Virgin 
and  St.  Joseph.  It  is  not  without  perplexity  that  we 
behold  the  Mother  of  God,  whom  we  have  been  taught  to 
regard  as  being  far  above  and  superior  to  all  ordinary 
human  circumstances,  enter  upon  the  duties  of  domestic 
family  life  through  her  marriage  with  St.  Joseph.  Has 
not  this  a  tendency  to  weaken  and  lessen  the  esteem  en¬ 
tertained  for  her  by  all  believing  Christians  ?  Have  not 
these  relations  often  been  misinterpreted  and  understood 
awrong  ?  Would  it  not  have  been  more  glorious  for  the 
sublime  Mother  of  God,  and  for  her  only  begotten  Son, 
if  the  virginity  of  the  mother  and  the  heavenly  origin  of 
the  Son  had  been  made  more  manifest  to  the  world  and 
thus  been  more  fully  recognized  and  honored  ?  Christian 
reader,  let  us  adore  in  profoundest  humility  the  mysterious 
8 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


114 

designs  and  the  wise  operations  of  Divine  Providence. 
Profound  mysteries  of  grave  truths  are  concealed  within 
this  economy  and  operation  of  God.  But  even  if,  in  the 
weakness  of  our  understandings,  we  can  find  no  grounds 
for  this  mysterious  disposition,  we  must  acknowledge  it  to 
be  the  wisest  and  most  fitting.  Yet,  for  our  instruction, 
the  holy  Fathers  of  the  Church  allege  many  reasons  why 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  though  consecrated  to  God,  should  be 
outwardly  married  to  the  carpenter  from  Nazareth. 
Weigh  these  reasons  for  your  own  edification  and  for  the 
strengthening  of  your  believing  faith. 

THE  PLAN  OF  THE  ATONEMENT  REQUIRED  IT. 

In  the  first  place,  it  was  God’s  holy  will  that  the  chosen 
Mother  of  God  should  not  exempt  herself  from  that  law 
which  awarded  to  maternal  dignity  the  preference  over 
maidenhood,  the  more  so  as  her  holy  vow  would  not  be  at 
all  considered  as  an  excuse  for  her  singleness  of  life.  Thus, 
at  a  later  day  and  in  a  similar  way,  did  the  same  virgin 
Mother  of  God  comply  with  the  law  of  purification  after 
the  birth  of  her  son,  though,  of  course,  she  was  in  no  way 
amenable  to  the  law  which  might  have  been  disregarded 
without  any  serious  consequences  for  her. 

In  the  second  place,  Mary  was  to  be  in  fact  a  mother, 
though  not  through  marriage,  but  by  virtue  of  her  vir¬ 
ginity. 

Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  a  virgin,  and  conceived  in  a 
supernatural  way,  would  embody  a  truth  which  the  Jews 
then,  as  now,  would  never  have  comprehended.  Nay, 
they  would  have  construed  it  into  a  most  disgraceful 
scandal,  and  looked  upon  it  in  its  worst  light  for  the 
honor  of  Mary. 

Why  would  they  believe  the  assertion  of  the  miraculous 
Mother,  they  who  would  not  believe  Eternal  Truth  Him- 


Why  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph.  115 

self  when  He  afterwards  taught  in  their  Temple  and 
worked  miracles  before  their  eyes  ? 

Doubtless  they  would  have  stoned  the  Mother  of  Jesus, 
had  not  her  miraculous  motherhood  been  veiled  by  a  sem¬ 
blance  of  outward  matrimony.  If  even  the  God-fearing 
St.  Joseph,  who,  though  firmly  convinced  of  the  ex¬ 
traordinary  sanctity  of  his  spouse,  was  nevertheless 
thrown  into  a  state  of  perplexity  and  embarrassment 
discovering  the  mystery  of  her  maternity,  wna\  woum 
those  persons  have  thought  who  had  not  this  fear  of  God 
nor  this  certainty  of  Mary’s  purity  ? 

Moreover,  in  the  third  place,  St.  Joseph  was  not  only 
a  protection  to  Mary’s  honor  and  a  guardian  of  safety  to 
herself,  but  he  was  also  an  indispensable  help  to  her  in 
the  bringing  up  and  supporting  of  her  divine  Son,  as 
well  as  in  the  trials  and  tribulations  that  afterwards  came. 
Imagine,  dear  Christian,  how  the  Blessed  Virgin  could 
have  proceeded  alone  and  unprotected  on  the  journey  to 
Bethlehem  at  Christmastide,  or  have  made  her  escape  to 
Egypt  at  the  time  of  the  slaughter  of  the  Innocents. 
Even  when  accompanied  by  her  faithful  guardian  and 
cheerful  comforter,  St.  Joseph,  these  trials  and  hardships 
were  hard  to  bear. 

In  the  fourth  place,  St.  Joseph  was  appointed  to  dis¬ 
charge  most  important  duties  towards  the  Son  of  Mary, 
the  Saviour  of  the  world.  To  this  poor  carpenter  of 
Nazareth,  the  eternal  Father  of  Jesus  Christ  delegated  in 
a  certain  sense  His  own  rights  over  His  Son.  St.  Joseph 
exercised  paternal  supervision  over  the  Son  of  Eternal 
Glory.  For  the  Lord  of  life  and  death  to  humble  Him¬ 
self  in  humility  and  obedience  before  one  of  His  creat¬ 
ures,  even  though  she  were  the  most  perfect,  is  still  an  un¬ 
speakable  wonder.  Yet  with  regard  to  Mary  we  can 
more  easily  realize  this  humility,  from  the  fact  that  He 
had  chosen  her  to  be  His  Mother  in  the  most  real  and 


n6  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 

complete  sense.  But  in  order  to  be  obedient  unto  death, 
He  wished  to  also  practise  obedience  and  complete  sub¬ 
mission  towards  a  creature  to  whom  He  was  not  bound 
by  the  sacred  bonds  of  flesh  and  blood  and  filial  duty. 
St.  Joseph,  therefore,  was  appointed  as  God’s  chosen  in¬ 
strument  to  consume  a  series  of  years  in  acting  as  an 
earthly  father  to  Jesus  Christ.  As  St.  John  Damascene 
teaches,  the  Lord  entrusted  to  him  the  duty  of  loving  the 
youthful  Saviour,  of  watching  over  Him,  and  of  command¬ 
ing  Him.  He  endowed  him  with  the  love  of  a  father,  in 
order  that  the  eternal  Son  during  His  earthly  existence 
should  be  attended  not  only  with  a  mother’s  tenderness, 
but  also  with  a  father’s  loving  gravity.  He  endowed  him 
with  the  vigilance  of  a  father,  that  he  might  be  ready  to 
assist  the  divine  Son  in  all  emergencies.  He  entrusted 
to  him  the  authority  of  a  father,  that  Jesus  might  ex¬ 
ercise  obedience  towards  him  in  all  his  directions  and 
commands.  Infinite  condescension  of  God,  exalted  dig¬ 
nity  of  St.  Joseph  ! 

MODELS  OF  HOLY  WEDLOCK. 

In  this  sacred  union  between  Mary  and  St.  Joseph  is 
contained  a  rich  treasury  of  truths  and  instructions  for  all 
coming  generations. 

In  the  lapse  of  ages,  holy  matrimony,  though  established 
by  God,  had  been  abused  to  the  most  atrocious  extent 
and  debased  to  the  lowest  degree,  and  the  female  sex  was 
ground  under  the  twofold  curse  of  passion  and  slavery. 
Now  that  the  heavenly  Physician  had  come  to  heal  all  the 
ills  of  sick  humanity,  he  must  necessarily  eradicate  the 
very  cause  of  the  ills,  namely,  the  disfigurement  and  de¬ 
basement  of  matrimony.  A  world  steeped  in  sensuality 
must  accept  the  conviction  that  the  matrimonial  union  is 
not  founded  upon  a  sensual  and  fleshly  lust,  but  on  spiritual 


Why  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph.  1 1 7 

love,  mutual  respect  and  reverence,  and  mutual  support. 
Now  as  Mary  was  appointed  to  be,  for  all  future  gener¬ 
ations  and  for  all  conditions  in  life,  the  most  exalted 
model,  it  lay  in  the  plan  of  Divine  Providence  to  set  her 
forth  at  the  very  threshold  of  the  new  kingdom  of  grace, 
as  the  most  exalted  model,  not  only  for  those  living  in  the 
holy  state  of  matrimony,  but  also  as  a  model  which  all 
should  follow  and  imitate  in  a  spirit  of  pure  love,  if  not 
in  virginal  continence — as  a  model  of  pure  morality  and 
of  the  holy  fear  of  God,  especially  in  time  of  great  peril 
and  unwholesome  temptation. 

THE  CHOICE  OF  A  CHRISTIAN  COMPANION. 

Mary  was  now  espoused  to  St.  Joseph.  No  one  asked 
her,  nor  durst  she  ask  her  own  heart,  whether  the  chosen 
spouse  (man  of  the  lottery)  pleased  her.  With  us,  blessed 
with  Christianity,  it  is  one  of  its  advantages  that  both 
parties  are  free  to  choose  and  to  consent  to  holy  Matri¬ 
mony.  This  is  indeed  a  great  blessing,  as  long  as  the 
young  woman  does  not  permit  herself  to  be  blinded  by 
injurious  sentiment  or  unworthy  motives,  but  first  tests 
quietly  the  qualities  of  her  husband  and  then  ^kes  coun¬ 
sel  with  persons  of  experience  and  with  God.  The  time 
of  this  mutual  testing  between  persons  contemplating 
marriage  is  termed  by  the  world  the  time  of  courtship. 

Christian  young  man  and  young  woman,  and  you,  too, 
parents  of  such  young  people,  lay  it  well  to  heart, 
courtship  has  no  other  object,  and  indeed  can  have 
no  other,  than  to  make  young  people  know  each  other, 
and  become  known  to  each  other,  in  order  thus  to  ascer¬ 
tain  whether  they  are  suitable  for  each  other.  Such  an 
acquaintance,  therefore,  ought  to  be  made,  only  at  an  age 
and  under  such  circumstances  that  a  speedy  marriage  is 
possible.  Courtship  of  young  people  just  out  of  school  is 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


118 

an  iniquity  and  most  assuredly  will  lead  to  debauchery.  A 
courtship  running  through  years  is  always  a  proximate 
occasion  of  sin  and  a  species  of  wrongdoing  to  God  ;  for 
the  heart  and  its  love  are  stolen  from  God  and  thrown 
away  on  a  man. 

There  can  be  few  more  serious  and  important  subjects 
brought  before  the  attention  of  young  people  than  a 
courtship.  Just  as  you  conduct  yourself  therein,  just  as 
you  decide,  so,  too,  will  you  decide  your  fate  for  time  and 
eternity.  And  yet  you  are  prone  to  look  upon  and  treat 
courtship  as  a  play.  Either  through  inexperience  or 
through  rashness,  you  trifle  with  innocence,  you  play  with 
fire,  you  trifle  with  the  grace  of  God,  you  trifle  with  your 
life’s  happiness,  you  trifle  with  heaven  and  with  hell.  How 
is  this  trifling  to  end  when  your  own  sensuality  and 
the  devil,  too,  are  making  use  of  the  weapons  of  allure¬ 
ment  and  blindness  ?  When,  too,  the  defending  arm  of 
conscience,  of  prayer,  of  your  guardian  angel,  of  modest 
sentiment,  are  cast  away  ?  Here  I  do  not  speak  of  those 
gross  transgressions  often  entered  on  the  parish  marriage 
record,  whereby  the  subsequent  marriage  is  only  a  cloak 
for  previous  disgrace,  but  rather  of  those  inward,  unclean 
impulses  of  the  heart,  of  certain  matters  that  wound  the 
tenderness  of  modesty  and  shun  the  presence  of  others. 
How,  under  such  circumstances,  can  the  necessary  tran¬ 
quillity  of  heart  be  preserved,  the  illuminations  from 
heaven  be  kept  unobscured,  in  order  that  you  may  test 
and  decide  ?  Christian  reader,  it  is  in  presence  of  the  im¬ 
age  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  in  frequent  and  devout  re¬ 
course  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  that  you  will  find  courage 
and  strength  to  overpower  rising  sensuality ;  there  you 
will  find  light  for  these  delicate  and  decisive  circumstances. 

Christian  young  man,  proceed  writh  gravity  and  con¬ 
scientiousness  to  the  task  of  choosing  a  companion  for  life. 
Do  not  be  influenced  by  things  which,  though  they  may 


r 


*  I 


\ 


. 


Why  the  Blessed  Vi?' gin  was  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph.  119 

please  you  to-day,  will  vanish  in  a  short  time,  or  of  which 
you  will  become  soon  disgusted.  Money  and  comely 
features  are  not  a  guarantee  for  God’s  peace  and  God’s 
blessing.  What  you  should  seek  is  what  will  be  to  you  a 
comfort  every  day  of  your  life,  that  is,  purity  of  soul, 
goodness  of  heart,  firm  faith,  quiet  humility,  self-denial, 
and  patient  suffering  ;  an  obliging  disposition,  a  tact  to 
advise,  skill  in  consoling,  helping,  and  discharging  house¬ 
hold  duties,  and  a  mild  yet  firm  character  amid  the  other 
members  of  your  mutual  home. 

Christian  young  woman,  I  implore  you,  for  the  sake  of 
your  innocent  soul,  do  not  permit  yourself  to  be  rashly 
and  inconsiderately  drawn  into  an  affection  for  a  young 
man,  for  there  are  many  of  them  who  are  not  bent  on  the 
honorable  possession  of  your  hand,  but  rather  on  your 
destruction.  If  you  have  made  the  first  step,  if  you  have 
been  gradually  exposed  to  the  danger  of  certain  impor¬ 
tunities,  step  backward  at  once,  for  now  you  have  evidence 
that  the  importuner  is  not  thinking  of  your  good,  that  he 
does  not  love  your  soul,  nor  your  honor,  nor  your  virtue. 
Never  give  your  consent  to  any  young  man  who  does  not 
discharge  the  duties  he  owes  to  God,  or  keep  the  promises 
made  to  Him.  If  he  fears  not  God,  nor  loves  Him,  if  he 
is  not  faithful  to  God,  how  can  he  then  respect  you,  love 
you,  or  be  true  to  you  ?  It  is  not  the  man  that  makes 
you  happy,  but  a  true  friend  and  guide,  a  member  of  your 
own  faith  and  a  sharer  in  your  piety,  a  fellow-pilgrim 
through  happiness  and  tribulation  to  eternal  life.  Never, 
on  any  consideration,  trust  your  fate  to  an  inebriate. 
Place  no  confidence  in  his  promises  of  amendment ;  do 
not  flatter  yourself  that  you  will  later  attach  him  to  the 
domestic  hearth.  Pray,  Christian  daughter,  pray  earnest¬ 
ly,  if  you  would  remain  steadfast  and  be  happy  in  the 
future. 

Christian  parents,  a  truly  sincere  and  God-pleasing 


120 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


solicitude  and  provision  for  your  grown-up  children  is  the 
conclusion  and  the  crowning  of  education.  Yet,  alas, 
how  often  through  your  neglect  or  through  the  unskilful 
discharge  of  your  duty  in  this  regard,  your  work  is  not 
only  bereft  of  its  crown,  but  is  utterly  destroyed  and  un¬ 
done  !  In  these  particular  positions  in  the  life  of  your 
grown-up  child,  you  have  the  advantage  of  experience 
and  of  matured  judgment.  Utilize  this  advantage  for 
your  own  comfort  and  for  the  welfare  of  your  child. 
Alas,  how  often  the  curse  and  reproach  of  an  unhappy 
marriage  rebounds  upon  the  parents  !  How  often  parents 
are  responsible  for  the  fall  of  their  daughter  during  court¬ 
ship  !  The  voice  of  experience,  the  voice  of  conscience, 
the  voice  of  God,  speak  to  you  aloud  and  in  tones  of  warn¬ 
ing,  not  to  allow  your  daughter  to  be  in  a  position  of 
danger  without  your  supervision.  Do  not  dispense  your¬ 
self  from  this  obligation  with  the  delusion  that  your 
child  may  be  left  to  the  guidance  and  dictates  of  her  own 
conscience.  If  she  is  good  and  innocent,  be  careful 
that  she  remain  so.  Nor  should  you  dispense  yourself 
from  the  duty  of  watching  your  daughter  under  the  pre¬ 
tence  that  she  would  be  uselessly  annoyed  and  angry  at 
you.  Believe  me,  when  she  grows  older  in  life’s  experi¬ 
ence,  she  will  be  grateful  for  your  vigilance. 

Chaste  and  God-loving  spouses,  Mary  and  Joseph, 
protect  and  advise  our  young  men  and  young  women  ! 
Lead  them  to  the  destiny  in  life  intended  for  them  by 
God.  Enlighten  them  in  their  decisions.  By  your  prayers 
and  example  effect  that  every  Christian  bridal  pair  may 
advance  to  the  bridal  altar  with  untarnished  souls,  in 
order  there  to  receive  the  abundant  graces  of  the  Al¬ 
mighty  God,  as  imparted  by  Him  in  the  holy  Sacrament 
of  Matrimony. 


Mary  and  Joseph  in  Nazareth. 


12  I 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MARY  AND  JOSEPH  IN  NAZARETH. 

THE  FIRST  DOMESTIC  REGULATIONS. 

MARY  had  inherited  the  paternal  home  from  her 
saintly  parents.  Here  she  and  her  chaste  spouse 
decided  to  take  up  their  abode.  With  grateful  hearts,  with 
the  blessing  of  the  priests,  and  the  good  wishes  of  their 
friends,  they  repaired  to  Nazareth,  entered  the  quiet  and 
cherished  home  that  had  been  the  scene  of  the  trials  and 
virtues  of  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne,  and  of  the  childish 
happiness  and  heavenly  favors  of  Mary  herself.  It  was 
soon  to  witness  still  greater  wonders. 

Do  you,  too,  Christian  reader,  full  of  reverence,  enter 
into  this  humble  dwelling  as  into  a  temple  of  God  where 
our  merciful  Lord  is  worshipped,  and  where  inexhaustible 
graces  are  bestowed.  Here  the  question  that  concerned 
this  holy  couple  was  not  so  much  how  they  were  to  sub¬ 
sist  and  furnish  the  house,  as  how7,  they  were  to  serve 
God. 

At  first,  a  little  dispute  arose  between  the  two  holy 
persons.  As  might  be  expected  from  their  humility,  each 
of  these  servants  of  God  preferred  to  obey  rather  than 
command  in  regulating  household  affairs.  St.  Joseph 
hesitated  and  took  the  humbler  position.  But  Mary 
showed  him  that  by  a  divine  ordinance  and  the  law  of  the 
land  the  husband  was  the  head  and  the  master  of  the 
house.  Only  two  conditions  were  laid  down,  namely,  that 
each  one  should  have  free  time  for  prayer,  and  perfect 
freedom  in  almsgiving  and  other  works  of  piety. 


122 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


THE  FIRST  AVOWAL. 

The  time  had  now  come  when  the  immaculate  Virgin 
must  necessarily  make  known  to  St.  Joseph  the  delicate 
secret  of  her  heart — her  vow  of  perpetual  virginity.  Oh, 
how  gladly,  in  her  humility  and  timid  delicacy,  she  would 
have  allowed  this  circumstance  to  remain  a  secret  be¬ 
tween  her  God  and  her  own  soul !  By  this  revelation 
she  would  expose  to  human  eyes  the  wealth  and  nobility 
of  her  soul,  and  the  extent  of  her  favors  from  heaven. 
Still  she  knew  that  complete  uprightness  of  heart  was  not 
only  meritorious  but  indispensable.  Moreover,  an  inner 
voice  assured  her  that  her  chaste  spouse  would  gladly 
consent  to  her  proposition  to  live  together  as  brother  and 
sister. 

When  at  last  she  ventured  to  tell  St.  Joseph  of  her 
vow,  and  prayed  him  to  be  a  protector  of  her  promise 
to  God,  assuring  him  at  the  same  time  that  she  would 
therefore  love  him  the  more  faithfully,  and  be  united  to 
him  the  more  closely  in  spirit,  since  her  love  would  be 
purer  and  holier,  the  saintly  man  showed  no  signs  of  sur¬ 
prise  at  the  circumstance,  though  till  then  unknown  in 
Israel.  From  early  youth  he  himself  had  loved  and 
cherished  holy  purity  as  the  fairest  among  all  virtues,  and 
it  was  now  the  dearest  wish  of  his  heart  to  preserve  this 
purity  till  the  end  of  his  life.  Moreover,  as  the  Blessed 
Virgin  stood  imploringly  before  him,  her  virgin  brow  re¬ 
flecting  modesty  and  holiness,  no  unbecoming  thought 
could  enter  his  mind  at  the  very  sight  of  this  queen  of 
heaven.  He  felt  as  if  he  stood  before  an  angel,  and 
more  than  an  angel. 

So  this  holy  couple  vowed  to  each  other  such  mutual 
love  and  fidelity  as  might  be  promised  between  a  brother 
and  sister.  With  grateful  hearts  they  renewed  together 
their  holy  vows  of  virginity.  In  the  same  happy  moment 


Mary  a?id  Joseph  in  Nazareth.  123 

both  of  their  hearts  were  wonderfully  strengthened  in 
purity  and  inflamed  with  divine  love.  St.  Joseph,  too, 
was  filled  with  new  light  by  this  conversation.  He  was 
astonished  at  the  marvellous  wisdom,  humility,  and  purity 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  whose  spouse  he  had  the  honor 
to  be. 

VIRGINAL  WEDLOCK. 

* 

What  a  glorious  spectacle  for  God  and  the  angels  was 
this  heavenly  life  of  the  chaste  couple  !  What  a  sublime 
and  grave  example  for  all  Christian  married  people ! 
This  example  is  to-day,  and  has  been  during  all  ages,  so 
powerful  in  its  effects,  that  at  all  times  there  have  been 
God-fearing  married  couples  who'  have  suppressed  all 
sensuality,  or  else  triumphed  over  it  to  such  a  degree  as 
to  cheerfully  forego  the  marriage  rights  and  to  serve  the 
Lord  in  virginal  love.  Not  only  in  the  cottages  of  the 
poor,  but  also  in  the  palaces  of  kings,  has  this  glorious 
example  of  the  carpenter  of  Nazareth  found  zealous 
imitators.  Recall  to  mind,  Christian  reader,  the  sublime 
continency  of  the  holy  emperor,  Henry  II.,  whose  saint’s 
day  falls  on  the  13th  of  July.  He  lived  with  his  queen, 
St.  Cunigunda,  in  a  state  of  sacred  virginity,  so  that,  in 
his  last  sickness,  just  a  few  hours  before  his  death,  he 
could  say  to  her  relatives :  “  I  received  her  a  virgin,  I 
leave  her  a  virgin.”  In  fact,  this  St.  Cunigunda  is  hon¬ 
ored  as  a  virgin  in  the  holy  office  of  the  Church.  In  the 
same  state  of  virginity  lived  King  Coloman,  of  Gallicia, 
with  his  wife,  Salome,  of  Poland ;  also  Duke  Boleslas,  of 
Poland,  surnamed  the  Chaste,  with  Ringa,  the  niece  of 
St.  Elizabeth.  Such  pure  married  lives  practised  in 
honor  of  the  spouse  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  are  termed 
“Joseph  marriages.”  May  these  heavenly  angelic  senti¬ 
ments  not  entirely  disappear  from  Christian  married  life I 


/ 


124 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


May  such  continue,  in  order  to  be  an  atonement  for  ex¬ 
cessive  sensuality  and  for  the  abasement  of  that  holy 
state  which  has  been  raised  by  Jesus  Christ  to  the  dignity 
of  a  sacrament. 

Certainly,  a  vow  involving  the  most  serious  conse¬ 
quences  is  easily  made  in  a  moment  of  pious  enthusiasm. 
But  to  keep  that  vow  forever  and  amid  adverse  circum¬ 
stances  is  no  easy  duty;  for  the  tempter  from  hell  will 
assail  what  is  holiest  in  the  holiest  of  persons.  But  con¬ 
tinued  vigilance,  ardent  prayer,  humble  confidence  in 
God’s  assistance  tend  to  overcome  the  danger,  and,  even 
with  the  help  of  self-control,  to  accumulate  merit.  How 
much  more  then  in  the  case  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  who, 
by  reason  of  being  conceived  without  sin,  was  exempt 
from  the  concupiscence  that  besets  all  other  children  of 
Adam. 


SANCTITY  OF  CHRISTIAN  MARRIAGE. 

Christian  married  people,  the  chief  means  whereby  you 
are  to  maintain  enduring  chastity  are  vigilance,  prayer, 
and  confidence  in  God.  Alas  !  grave  and  countless  are 
the  evils  beneath  which  mankind  is  groaning  at  the  pres¬ 
ent  time.  But  nothing  is  more  blighting,  no  vice  calls 
down  such  dreadful  maledictions  on  human  societv,  no  evil 
brings  on  society  such  lasting  destruction,  as  the  un- 
Christianizing  and  secularizing  of  the  Sacrament  of  Mat¬ 
rimony.  When  this  fountain  of  society’s  life  is  turbid, 
where  shall  any  man  drink  in  a  healthy  life  ?  May  all 
those  whose  exalted  duty  it  is  to  preserve  order,  morality, 
and  right  exert  themselves  to  guard  and  defend  the  free¬ 
dom  of  the  Church  and  the  sacramental  character  of  this 
holy  union.  Alas,  how  much  to  be  pitied  are  those  per¬ 
sons  who  first  would  strip  this  daughter  of  heaven  of 
her  garment  of  grace,  and  in  the  contract  of  marriage 


Mary  and  Joseph  in  Nazareth. 


I25 


pretend  to  discover  only  a  civil  contract,*  which  they  dare 
to  enter  upon  without  God,  without  priest,  without  blessing ! 
What  a  poor  pledge  is  here  given  for  a  faithful  discharge 
of  duty,  for  heaven’s  benediction  during  the  whole  long, 
serious,  thorn-strewn  journey  of  life  !  Yet  the  powers  of 
this  world  cannot  succeed  in  disowning  the  sanctity  and  in¬ 
dissolubility  of  marriage,  nor  can  the  enactments  from 
the  law  books  go  far  in  nullifying  on  this  point  the  laws 
of  God  and  His  Church,  if  you,  Christian  parents,  only  ful¬ 
fil  faithfully,  by  vigilance,  prayer,  and  trust  in  God,  the 
duties  of  your  holy  state  :  if  you  set  your  faces  against  all 
the  enticements  to  unrestraint,  and,  at  the  marriage  of 
your  sons  and  daughters,  demand  firmly  the  conditions 
required  by  conscience,  morality,  and  the  holy  Catholic 
Church. 

Purest  Virgin  Mary,  purest  spouse  of  St.  Joseph,  you 
can  by  your  noble  example  and  by  your  powerful  inter¬ 
cession  so  arrange  things,  that  Christian  young  men  and 
women  may  enter  on  holy  Matrimony  pure  and  fearing 
God.  You  can  also  hold  them  conscientiously  to  these 
sentiments,  and  prevent  them  from  descending  to  any 
abuse  of  this  union,  either  by  excessive  sensuality  or  un- 
happy  infidelity. 

You  know  the  dangers  to  which  the  Christian  character 
of  the  family  is  exposed.  You  knowhow  the  tender  and 
innocent  children,  even  under  the  roof  of  their  father’s 

*  The  so-called  civil  marriage,  that  is,  a  marriage  contracted  before 
the  civil  authorities.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark,  that  a  prac¬ 
tical  Catholic,  where  a  civil  ceremony  is  required  by  law,  cannot  be 
satisfied  with  this,  but  must  go  before  the  priest  to  receive  the  bless¬ 
ing  of  the  Church,  and  this  should  be  done  before  the  civil  ceremony 
wherever  possible.  When  this  is  not  done  the  marriage  is  sinful,  and 
in  places  where  the  decrees  of  the  Council  of  Trent  have  been  promul¬ 
gated,  it  is  null  and  void,  and  to  be  considered  as  a  concubinage. 
It  is  also  self-evident  that  a  valid  marriage  cannot  be  dissolved  by 
the  sentence  of  a  civil  judge. 


126 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


house,  are  exposed  to  great  dangers.  Saintly  protectors 
of  our  homes,  St.  Joseph  and  Mary,  permit  that  the  merits 
of  your  pure  domestic  life  may  bring  down  upon  us  the 
richest  blessings. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  IS  INWARDLY  PREPARED 

FOR  THE  MESSIAS. 

ONCE  more  glancing  backward,  Christian  reader,  at 
the  wondrous  dispensations  of  God  with  regard  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  you  see  her  led  on  step  by  step,  and 
nearer  and  nearer,  to  her  grand  and  noble  destiny. 
These  outward  preparations  are  now  complete.  Mary 
is  now  matured  in  years  and  in  virtue.  In  the  eyes  of 
the  world  she  is  a  married  woman.  The  Son  of  God  may 
now  be  born  into  the  world  as  the  putative  Son  of  Mary 
and  Joseph.  But  to  this  external  preparation  of  the 
Mother  there  is  yet  to  be  added  still  further  internal 
preparations  becoming  and  proportionate  to  the  ap¬ 
proaching  mystery  of  the  Incarnation.  It  is  necessary 
that  she  should  be  endowed  with  a  deeper  knowledge  of 
the  plan  of  Redemption.  Great  events  of  the  world  are 
usually  preceded  by  premonitory  signs,  and  ordinary 
observers  can  be  in  some  measure  prepared  for  them. 
Thus,  in  the  Old  Testament,  the  people,  relying  upon  the 
many  signs  and  prophecies  that  were  given  them,  held  the 
expectation  and  cherished  the  hope  of  seeing  the  time 
of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  when  the  “  Desired  of 
Nations  ”  was  about  to  come.  But  in  the  soul  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary  this  conviction  must  be  made  spe¬ 
cially  clear  and  vivid.  This  was  effected  by  her  profound 


Mary  Inwardly  Prepared  for  the  Messias.  127 

understanding  of  the  Scriptures,  by  her  great  yet  tender 
affection  for  everything  pertaining  to  God,  by  her  unin¬ 
terrupted  communings  through  prayer  with  heaven,  and 
by  clear  and  copious  revelations  that  were  made  to  her. 

\ 

UNDERSTANDING  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

The  wonderful  Incarnation  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is 
an  unfathomable  mystery  even  for  us  who  walk  in  the 
full  bright  light  of  revelation.  Far  more  so  was  it,  then, 
to  those  who  lived  before  the  event  itself.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  afford  to  the  predestined  Mother  of  God  a 
due  comprehension  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  of  her  own  part  in  the  mystery,  and  thus  to  enable 
her  to  pronounce  more  fully  and  intelligently  the  mo¬ 
mentous  word  of  her  concurrence  with  the  will  of  God ; 
namely,  “  Be  it  done  unto  me  according  to  Thy  word” 
[fat],  it  was  necessary  that  God  should  reveal  to  her  in 
a  very  special  manner  a  series  of  profound  truths  which 
Christ  Himself  afterwards  made  known  to  all  men. 

The  first  of  these  truths  to  be  made  known  to  Mary 
was  the  mystery  of  the  Most  Adorable  Trinity.  For  many 
very  grave  reasons  the  God  of  Israel  had  not  revealed 
Himself  to  the  people  as  a  God  subsisting  in  Three  Divine 
Persons.  As  a  safeguard  against  the  polytheism  of  the 
heathens  He  had  revealed  Himself  simply  as  one  God. 
Hardly  any  one  of  the  prophets  had  the  slightest  per¬ 
ception  of  the  triune  nature  of  God.  But  now,  when  the 
Second  Person  of  these  Three  Divine  Persons  was  about 
to  become  man  through  the  operation  of  another  Person, 
namely,  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  is  clear  that  Mary,  who  was  to 
be  the  Mother,  should  necessarily  possess  a  knowledge  of 
this  profound  mystery  of  the  Trinity. 

Moreover,  it  was  necessary  that  the  Mother  of  the 
Redeemer  should  be  afforded  still  further  light  on  the 


128 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


necessity  of  the  Redemption  and  on  its  various  effects. 
She  should  know  such  truths  as  the  following  :  The  value 
of  a  human  soul,  which  is  the  image  and  likeness  of  the 
Most  High ;  its  original  state  of  justice ;  the  deplorable  re¬ 
sults  of  our  first  parents’  transgression  ;  the  enormity  of 
an  offence  against  God;  the  inability  of  man,  by  or  in 
himself,  to  effect  a  reconciliation  with  God,  or  to  atone 
for  the  original  Fall,  or  to  save  himself  from  error. 
These  are  some  of  the  sublime  truths  which  render  pos¬ 
sible  a  fair  comprehension  of  the  work  of  the  Redemption. 
We  may  well  suppose  that  these  were  revealed  to  Mary 
in  a  mysterious  mode  of  revelation  and  vision. 

If  to  you,  Christian  reader,  the  wonderful  phases  of  the 
higher  mystical  life  are  not  entirely  unknown,  and  if 
you  recall  the  sublime  revelations  enjoyed  by  so  many 
saints,  by  St.  Gertrude,  St.  Matilda,  and,  in  later  times,  by 
the  Blessed  Catharine  Emmerich,  you  will  not  wonder 
that  to  the  Queen  of  all  the  saints  were  revealed  and  im¬ 
parted  similar  and  still  greater  and  profounder  and  more 
mysterious  communications  concerning  the  mysteries  of 
heaven.  Indeed  they  were  intended  as  a  preparation  for 
her  own  divine  maternity. 

LONGING  FOR  THE  REDEEMER. 

A  still  further  and  extraordinary  preparatory  result  was 
produced  by  grace  on  the  heart  and  will  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  This  was  an  unspeakable  longing  for  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  mankind. 

Christian  reader,  in  order  to  understand,  at  least  partly, 
Mary’s  longings  in  this  respect,  consider  the  yearnings  of 
the  just  people  of  the  Old  Testament  for  the  coming  of 
the  Redeemer.  When,  with  tearful  eyes,  they  looked  out 
upon  the  ocean  of  iniquity  and  desolation  that  had  sub¬ 
merged  and  well-nigh  destroyed  the  whole  human  family; 
when  they  heard  the  shrieks  of  the  slave  under  the  lash, 


' 


Mary  Inwardly  Prepared  for  the  Messias.  129 

the  moans  of  debased  woman,  the  wailings  of  children 
strangled  by  the  hands  of  their  own  fathers,  the  groanings 
of  suicides  driven  to  death  by  despair  ;  when,  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  all  this,  they  remembered  the  many  promises  of 
a  divinely  sent  Saviour,  and  the  future  glory  of  the  new 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  how  their  hearts  must  have 
burned  with  a  holy,  ardent  longing  for  that  promised  Re¬ 
deemer  !  “  Oh,  that  Thou  wouldst  rend  the  heavens,”  they 
cried  out  in  holy  enthusiasm,  “  and  wouldst  come  down  ! 
The  mountains  would  melt  away  at  Thy  presence.  They 
would  melt  as  at  the  burning  of  fire,  the  waters  would 
burn  with  fire,  that  Thy  name  might  be  made  known  to 
Thy  enemies,  that  the  nations  might  tremble  at  Thy  pres¬ 
ence.”  (Is.  lxiv.  1,  2.) 

Consider  also  the  longings  of  the  just  souls  in  limbo. 
On  earth,  these  holy  persons  had  faithfully  served  the 
Lord  and  had  died  in  a  state  of  grace.  But  as  heaven 
was  closed,  they  remained  imprisoned  in  a  place,  where, 
by  the  hope  of  a  Redeemer  to  come,  they  were  sustained, 
and,  suffering  no  positive  sensible  pain,  they  longed  and 
sighed  for  the  moment  of  their  liberation.  As  the 
prisoner  in  his  dark  cell  listens  near  the  door,  and  strains 
his  ears  in  unceasing  efforts  to  hear  the  distant  footsteps 
of  his  liberator,  and  the  rattling  of  the  keys  in  his  hands, 
so  did  these  poor  souls  wait  and  sigh  and  listen,  century 
after  century.  As  years  rolled  by,  as  the  numbers  of 
prisoners  increased,  their  cries  and  yearnings  grew  more 
eager  and  exacting,  and  more  moving.  “  How  long,  O 
Lord,  wilt  Thou  be  angry  forever  :  shalt  Thy  zeal  be 
kindled  like  a  fire  ?  Remember  not  our  former  iniquities, 
let  Thy  mercy  speedily  prevent  us :  for  we  are  become 
exceeding  poor.  Help  us,  O  God,  our  Saviour:  and  for 
the  glory  of  Thy  name,  O  Lord,  deliver  us.  And  let 
Him  be  made  known  among  the  nations  before  our  eyes.” 
(Ps.  lxxviii.) 

9 


130 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


Consider  finally,  Christian  reader,  the  longings  of  the 
angels  for  the  restoration  of  mankind.  These  loving 
friends  of  man  beheld  the  frightful  spiritual  needs  of  those 
dwelling  on  the  earth  and  they  heard  the  lamentations  of 
the  dead  children  of  God.  Their  compassion  was  so 
aroused  by  these  miseries,  that,  were  it  possible  for  angels, 
they  would  have  suffered  from  mere  sympathy  and  their 
happiness  would  have  been  interrupted.  With  alarm  they 
witnessed  the  despotic  dominion  exercised  by  the  spirit  of 
darkness  over  the  hearts  of  men  ever  since  the  days  of 
Adam.  They  saw  hell  filling  up  with  damned  souls 
while  the  halls  of  heaven  were  deserted.  Oh  !  how  they 
longed  for  the  moment  when  they  would  be  permitted  to 
wing  their  joyful  way  to  earth  and  to  limbo,  and  to  pro¬ 
claim  to  the  sufferers  in  both  places  the  joyful  message  ; 
“  Behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  that  shall 
be  to  all  the  people :  for  this  day  is  born  to  you  a  Saviour 
who  is  Christ  the  Lord.”  (Luke  ii.  io.) 

Perhaps  now,  Christian  reader,  you  may  be  better  able 
to  understand  and  appreciate  the  longing  that  dwelt 
quietly,  though  deeply  and  powerfully,  in  the  highly  il¬ 
luminated  and  grace-laden  soul  of  the  Mother  of  God.  Is 
it  too  much  to  say  that  greater  and  more  powerful  than 
the  longings  of  all  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testament,  as 
well  of  all  the  choirs  of  angels,  for  the  coming  of  the  Re¬ 
deemer  and  the  salvation  of  men,  was  the  fervid  and 
deep-seated  desire  that  reigned  in  Mary’s  heart  for  the 
salvation  of  her  fellow-beings.  Indeed,  there  are  many 
pious  and  learned  writers  who  maintain  that  the  heavenly 
Father  hastened  the  time  for  the  Incarnation  of  His 
divine  Son  in  order  to  still  this  ardent  longing  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  We  read,  too,  in  the  lives  of  several 
saints  that  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  of  the  Altar 
sometimes  left  the  tabernacle  in  the  consecrated  Host 
and  most  miraculously  united  Himself  to  these  servants  of 


Mary  Inwardly  Prepared  for  the  Messias.  13 1 

God  in  holy  communion,  because  their  languishing  souls 
longed  for  this  heavenly  food  and  the  time  or  the  circum¬ 
stances  were  not  favorable  to  the  ordinary  mode  of  re¬ 
ceiving  communion.  Would  not  God  work  a  similar 
miracle  out  of  love  for  His  chosen  Mother  ?  He  had 
already  wrought  a  still  more  peculiar  and  extraordinary 
wonder  when  He  selected  her  to  be  His  Mother.  More¬ 
over,  it  is  self-evident  that  this  longing  on  the  part  of 
Mary  for  the  Incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  was  entirely  in¬ 
separable  from  the  honorable  and  honored  co-operation 
in  this  mystery,  to  which  she  had  been  chosen.  Her 
longings  were  for  a  Saviour,  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  for 
the  salvation  of  souls,  and  not  for  her  own  motherhood,  in 
so  far  as  this  was  to  be  for  her  a  shining  glory. 

REVELATIONS  TO  ST.  JOSEPH. —  HIS  INNER  LIFE  OF  GRACE. 

From  the  hour  in  which  St.  Joseph  took  up  his  abode 
in  the  humble  home  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  at  Nazareth, 
his  soul  increased  in  charity  and  sanctity.  The  two 
hearts  of  these  holy  servants  of  God  were  in  perfect 
harmony  in  all  things,  but  especially  in  their  mutual 
sentiments  of  piety  and  devotion  to  God.  In  holy  con¬ 
versation,  all  the  rich  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
were  communicated  from  Mary’s  well-stored  brain  into  St. 
Joseph’s  heart.  Moreover,  the  divine  grace  of  heaven 
operated  in  St.  Joseph’s  soul  according  to  his  vast  merits 
and  proportionate  to  his  sublime  share  in  the  glorious  In¬ 
carnation  and  Redemption.  And  how  rich  his  merits 
were !  How  sublime  the  position  assigned  to  him  by 
heaven  in  these  grand  mysteries,  especially  in  Jesus 
Christ’s  becoming  man  !  As  in  his  youth,  the  eye  of 
heaven  had  watched  over  him,  and  as  its  grace  had,  from 
earliest  years,  strengthened  him,  so  as  to  fit  him  to  be¬ 
come  a  worthy  spouse  of  God’s  chosen  Mother,  so  now 


i32 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


did  that  same  grace  continue  its  work  in  his  soul,  that  he 
might  be  still  further  fitted  to  assume  the  exalted  and  re¬ 
sponsible  duties  of  foster-father  and  protector  to  the  Son 
of  the  living  God.  Indeed,  the  severe  and  trying  tests 
that  were  yet  in  store  for  him  could  not  be  permitted  to 
break  suddenly  upon  him,  until  the  necessary  fortitude 
and  the  gradual  faith-strengthening  had  been  first  well 
established  by  the  intervention  of  divine  grace,  mingled 
with  his  own  individual  co-operation.  But,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  the  preparatory  workings  of  grace 
in  the  soul  of  St.  Joseph  had  a  bearing  rather  on  his 
knowledge  of  the  necessity  of  the  Redemption,  and  of 
God’s  mercies  therein  revealed,  than  on  his  share  itself  in 
the  work  of  Redemption.  Humility,  distrust  of  one’s  self 
is  ever  and  chiefly  the  ground  from  which  heaven’s  fairest 
flowers  spring  forth. 


ADVENT. 

What  a  reproach,  Christian  reader,  to  our  cold  and 
sluggish  souls  is  the  holy  ardor  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  ! 
Not  merely  once  in  our  lifetime,  but  with  each  returning 
year,  do  we  commemorate  with  holy  Church  the  mystery 
of  Christ  becoming  man.  We  should,  then,  in  the  spirit 
of  the  Church,  prepare  ourselves  for  this  great  mystery 
by  an  impatient  longing  and  by  good  works  of  piety  dur¬ 
ing  the  season  of  Advent.  Alas,  with  what  icy  heartless¬ 
ness  we  pass  through  these  days  of  grace  on  our  way  to 
a  fruitless  celebration  of  Christmas!  Nay,  more,  either 
of  our  own  free  will,  or  out  of  custom,  or  because  it  is  the 
wish  of  the  Church,  we  approach  the  table  of  the  Lord 
more  than  once  a  year.  There  awaits  us  the  same  “  De¬ 
sired  of  Nations,”  eager  to  descend  into  our  souls  as  He 
descended  of  old  into  the  virginal  bosom  of  Mary.  A 
preparation  similar  to  hers,  and,  if  possible,  a  more  deep- 


Mary  Saluted  by  God  through  the  Angel  Gabriel .  133 

seated  preparation  ought  we  to  make  for  this  special  and 
glorious  advent  into  our  souls  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.  Then,  indeed,  would  our  souls  lose  them¬ 
selves  in  longings  and  holy  desires.  Then  we  would, 
with  our  whole  heart  and  soul,  with  all  our  mind,  and  all 
our  strength,  cry  aloud  to  Our  Lord  on  the  altar  :  “  How 
lovely  are  Thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  hosts.  My  soul 
longeth  and  fainteth  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord.  My 
heart  and  my  flesh  have  rejoiced  in  the  living  God ;  for 
better  is  one  day  in  Thy  courts  above  thousands.  For 
God  loveth  mercy  and  truth  ;  the  Lord  will  give  grace 
and  glory.”  (Ps.  lxxxiii.) 

“  As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  fountains  of  waters  :  so 
my  soul  panteth  after  Thee,  O  God.  My  soul  hath  thirsted 
after  the  strong  living  God :  when  shall  I  come  and  ap¬ 
pear  before  the  face  of  God  ?  My  tears  have  been  my 
bread  day  and  night :  whilst  it  is  said  to  me  daily  :  Where 
is  thy  God  ?  These  things  I  remembered,  and  poured 
out  my  soul  in  me  :  for  I  shall  go  over  into  the  place  of 
the  wonderful  tabernacle,  even  to  the  house  of  God. 
With  the  voice  of  joy  and  praise  :  the  noise  of  one  feast¬ 
ing.”  (Ps.  xlviii.  1-5.) 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  SALUTED  BY  GOD  THROUGH 

THE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 

NOWING  the  season,  that  it  is  now  the  hour  for  us 
IN.  to  rise  from  sleep.  For  now  our  salvation  is 
nearer  than  when  we  believed.  The  night  is  past  and 
the  day  is  at  hand.  Let  us  therefore  cast  off  the  works 
of  darkness,  and  put  on  the  armor  of  light.”  Thus 


134  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 

speaketh  St.  Paul  in  the  13th  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to 
the  Romans. 

Yes,  Christian  reader,  let  us  awake  from  our  sleep  of 
slothfulness,  let  us  abandon  the  works  and  the  ways  of 
sin,  let  us  take  in  our  hands  the  weapons  of  light,  which 
are  a  firm  faith,  a  deep  humility,  and  an  ardent,  grateful 
love,  in  order  to  contemplate  worthily  and  profitably  the 
great  and  stupendous  mysteries  of  approaching  Redemp¬ 
tion. 


heaven’s  messenger. 

Mary,  the  future  temple  of  the  Adorable  Trinity,  shone 
forth  in  all  her  beauteous  lustre.  On  the  altar  of  her 
heart  burned  higher  and  brighter  the  fires  of  her  ardor. 
The  long  desired  and  expected  hour  had  come  when  the 
glory  of  the  Most  High  was  to  fill  this  temple  and  de¬ 
scend  upon  this  altar.  With  holy  reverence  and  joyous 
heart,  receive,  Christian  reader,  the  happy  tidings  as  re¬ 
lated  to  us  by  St.  Luke  the  Evangelist :  “  And  in  the 
sixth  month  [after  St.  Elizabeth  had  conceived  her  son, 
the  future  St.  John  the  Baptist]  the  Angel  Gabriel  was 
sent  from  God  into  a  city  of  Galilee,  called  Nazareth,  to 
a  virgin  espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of 
the  house  of  David  ;  and  the  virgin’s  name  was  Mary. 
And  the  angel  being  come  in,  said  unto  her :  Hail  full  of 
grace  :  the  Lord  is  with  thee  ;  blessed  art  thou  among 
women.”  (Luke  i.  26-28.) 

This  “  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made  ”  in  order  to 
begin  the  salvation  of  men,  was  the  25th  day  of  March, 
about  742  years  after  the  foundation  of  Rome.  The 
Angel  Gabriel  was  sent  from  God  to  Nazareth.  Nazareth 
was  a  small  secluded  town  of  an  unimportant  province, 
the  days  of  whose  historical  importance  were  over,  whose 
national  independence  had  been  lost,  and  whose  capital, 


Mary  Saluted  by  God  through  the  Angel  Gabriel.  135 

the  city  of  Jerusalem,  was  now  chafing  silently  and  sullenly 
under  the  iron  heel  of  foreign  despotism.  Even  in  this 
prostrate  land,  the  very  name  Nazareth  was  a  by-word 
and  a  reproach.  In  this  same  despised  Nazareth,  there 
stood  a  humble  house,  the  dwelling  of  poverty,  whose 
simple  inmates,  a  carpenter  with  his  espoused  wife 
earned  their  daily  bread  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow, 
The  messenger,  however,  was  one  of  the  highest  princes 
of  heaven,  Gabriel,  the  “  Strength  of  God,”  and  whom 
we  rightly  call  the  Angel  of  the  Incarnation.  Listen, 
Christian  reader,  to  the  profound  words  of  St.  Thomas, 
“  the  Angel  of  the  Schools  ” :  “  In  all  ages  it  was  deemed 
an  extraordinary  occurrence  for  .an  angel  to  appear  to 
men.  It  was  considered  a  great  favor  for  men  to  have 
an  opportunity  of  manifesting  their  reverence  for  an  an¬ 
gel,  and  a  man  so  favored  enjoyed  fame  among  his  peo¬ 
ple.  But  for  an  angel  to  show  respect  and  reverence  for 
a  child  of  earth  was  a  thing  unheard  till  the  time  when 
the  Angel  Gabriel  saluted  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  said  to 
her  reverentially  :  *  Hail !  ’  It  is  becoming  that  man 
should  show  deference  to  an  angel,  but  not  that  an  angel 
should  shjnw  deference  to  man ;  for  the  angel  is  man’s 
superior  under  three  points  of  view.  First,  in  point  of 
dignity,  for  the  angel  is  spiritual  by  nature,  man  cor¬ 
poral.  Secondly,  in  the  matter  of  familiar  nearness  to 
God,  for  the  angel  being  as  it  were  an  inmate  of  heaven, 
stands  near  the  throne  of  God,  while  man  is  banished  far 
away  from  God  on  account  of  sin.  In  the  third  place,  the 
angel  stands  far  above  man  in  his  enjoyment  of  divine 
favors  ;  for,  being  in  heaven,  he  receives  in  the  highest 
intensity  the  very  light  of  God’s  countenance  ;  while  men, 
even  if  they  do  enjoy  the  light  of  divine  grace,  have,  nev¬ 
ertheless,  only  a  measured  and  limited  supply.  Now,  as 
in  the  annunciation  of  the  Incarnation,  the  child  of  earth 
does  not  do  reverence  to  the  angel,  while  he  renders 


136 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


homage  to  her,  it  follows  that  Mary  surpasses  the  angels 
in  these  three  respects :  in  dignity,  in  confidential  famil¬ 
iarity  with  God,  and  in  the  splendor  and  fulness  of  divine 
grace.”  {Opus.  8.) 

If,  then,  Christian  reader,  a  prince  of  heaven  pays 
homage  to  our  beloved  protectress,  even  while  she  so¬ 
journs,  a  mortal,  here  below,  how  much  more  are  we,  sin¬ 
ful  men,  justified  and  bound  to  honor  her  and  glorify  her 
name,  now  that  she  is  gloriously  crowned  in  heaven  as 
Queen  of  the  world  ! 

THE  GREETING  FROM  THE  MOST  HIGH. 

What  is  the  import  of  this  angelical  salutation  ?  Ponder 
well  and  carefully,  Christian  reader,  and  with  reverent 
attention,  the  well-known  words  of  the  first  part  of  your 
familiar  “  Hail  Mary.” 

“  Ave/”  “Hail!”  “I  salute  thee.”  A  salute  from 
the  most  high  God  !  What  a  condescension  on  the  part  of 
God !  What  an  honor  for  the  humble  child  of  earth ! 
What  a  pleasure  for  the  angel !  And,  more  than  all, 
what  a  consolation  for  man  !  Since  the  unhappy  fall  of 
our  first  parents  in  Paradise,  man  stood,  in  relation  to  his 
God,  in  the  light  of  an  enemy.  The  original  and  confi¬ 
dential  intercourse  was  broken  off.  Here,  the  outraged 
majesty  of  an  offended  God  paves  the  way  for  a  meeting 
of  reconciliation ;  for  He  proffers  to  a  member  of  the 
human  family,  through  a  special  messenger,  a  salutation 
— Ave ,  or  Hail. 

Therefore,  Christian  reader,  this  Hail  Mary,  pronounced 
by  an  angel  well-nigh  two  thousand  years  ago,  in  the  simple 
home  at  Nazareth,  burst  through  the  four  walls  of  the 
house,  and  became  a  glorious  anthem  to  be  sung  by  men 
and  angels  for  all  eternity.  “  Hail  Mary !  ”  “  Ave 

Maria  /”  When  the  child  begins  to  speak,  its  pious 


Mary  Saluted  by  God  through  the  Angel  Gabriel.  137 

mother  hastens  to  teach  it  the  words,  “  Hail  Mary  !  ” 
The  child  grows  in  grace  and  strength,  and  of  its  own 
accord  says  every  day,  “  Hail  Mary  !  ”  In  joy  or  in  sorrow, 
the  Christian  breast  breathes  forth  the  grateful  prayer 
and  cries  for  help,  saying,  “  Hail  Mary  S  ”  Three  times 
each  day,  the  tongues  of  bells  in  lofty  towers,  like  angels’ 
voices  in  the  air,  peal  forth  “  Hail  Mary,  Ave  Maria” 
and  at  their  call  the  farmer  stops  his  work,  the  mechanic 
drops  his  tools,  the  scholar  shuts  his  book,  the  sick  forget 
their  pains,  the  sailor  on  the  sea,  and  the  shepherd  in  the 
field,  and  the  hunter  on  the  mountain  side,  the  whole 
Catholic  world,  cry  out :  “  Hail  Mary  !  ” 

Christian  reader,  whenever  you  pronounce  this  beauti¬ 
ful  greeting  of  the  angel,  let  it  be  with  a  devotion,  re¬ 
verence,  and  sincerity  similar  to  that  with  which  the 
Angel  Gabriel  addressed  it  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

FULL  OF  GRACE. 

“  Gratia  plena — Full  of  Grace  !  ”  We  often  admire  the 
fulness  of  grace  bestowed  upon  the  most  distinguished 
saints.  In  our  eyes,  indeed,  they  may  have  been  full  of 
grace.  But  only  He  to  whose  eyes  all  things  are  plainly 
visible,  He  who  will  sit  in  judgment  on  the  most  just, 
knows  perfectly.  But  Mary  was  praised  as  being  full  of 
grace  by  the  Giver  of  grace  Himself.  If  her  pure  soul 
had  needed,  or  been  able  to  bear,  a  still  greater  abun¬ 
dance  of  grace,  God  would  have  bestowed  it  upon  her 
before  in  His  eternal  truth  He  would  have  pronounced  her 
full  of  grace.  Moreover,  this  fulness  of  grace,  Christian 
reader,  was  awarded  to  her,  as  you  must  have  perceived, 
before  the  coming  of  that  Holy  Spirit,  through  whose 
mysterious  operation  the  Son  of  God  took  up  His  abode 
in  her  chaste  womb.  She  was  thus  full  of  grace,  not  only 
during  the  time  that  she  was  united  with  the  divine  Giver 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . 


138 

of  grace,  but  even  before  that  time.  “  Who  hath  meas¬ 
ured  the  height  of  heaven  and  the  breadth  of  the  earth, 
and  the  depth  of  the  abyss  ?  ”  (Ecclus.  i.  2.)  And  if  any 
mortal  could  measure  these,  he  would  still  be  unable  to 
measure  the  height  and  the  breadth  and  the  depth  of  the 
wealth  of  grace  buried  in  the  heart  of  the  Mother  of  God. 

The  height  of  grace ! — Sanctifying  grace  !  Recall, 
Christian  reader,  what  we  read  on  page  81  about  opera¬ 
tions  of  grace  in  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism.  As  the  light 
of  the  sun  brightens  and  illuminates  the  costly  diamond, 
until  it  fairly  sparkles  in  brilliant  beauty,  so,  by  virtue  of 
this  admirable  sacrament,  does  a  flood  of  supernatural 
brightness  deluge  our  souls  to  such  a  degree  that  they 
become  pleasing  to  God  and  acquire  a  right  to  a  child’s 
inheritance  of  heaven.  All  this  light  and  brilliancy  of 
soul  are  still  more  intensified  in  and  by  all  the  works 
of  piety  we  perform,  but  first  and  above  all  by  the  close 
and  intimate  union  that  occurs  between  us  and  Our  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  in  holy  communion.  Mary  from  the  first 
moment  of  her  existence  was  like  the  purest  diamond  in 
the  eyes  of  God,  by  virtue  of  her  immaculate  conception. 
By  her  personal  active  co-operation,  by  her  unceasing 
prayer,  by  her  union  with  God  and  her  deeds  of  self-denial, 
this  first  free-will  gift  of  God  was  so  increased  and  inten¬ 
sified,  that  now  she  may  be  styled  full  of  grace,  on  account 
of  her  personal  merits. 

The  breadth  of  grace — efficient  actual  grace.  While 
sanctifying  grace  is  an  enduring  condition  of  the  soul,  we 
understand  by  actual,  operating  grace  a  passing  supernat¬ 
ural  help  from  God,  given  to  enable  us  to  discharge  our  duty 
in  special  cases,  to  accomplish  successfully  and  merito¬ 
riously  all  works  undertaken  by  our  own  free  will.  Regard¬ 
ing  this  necessity  of  ours  for  divine  assistance,  and  nat¬ 
ural  inability  to  lead  a  meritorious  life  and  one  pleasing  to 
God,  the  divine  Giver  of  all  grace  says  :  “  Without  Me  you 


Mary  Saluted  by  God  through  the  Angel  Gabriel.  139 

can  do  nothing.”  (John  xv.  5.)  As  the  sun  ceases  not 
to  pour  forth  upon  the  earth  its  vivifying  and  fructifying 
rays,  thus  forcing  the  growth  and  producing  the  bloom 
and  effecting  the  fruitfulness  of  the  plant,  so  there  exists 
an  unbroken  blessed  intercourse  between  God  and  every 
soul  that  is  in  a  state  of  sanctifying  grace. 

Consider,  Christian  soul,  those  sublime  sentiments  and 
real  virtues  that  exist  in  the  interior  spiritual  life  of  chosen 
souls  ;  namely,  that  firm  faith,  that  childlike  confidence  in 
God,  that  ardent  love,  that  purity  of  intention,  that  zeal 
and  that  humility  in  all  their  actions.  Yet  what  are  these 
saints  and  their  sublime  qualities  when  compared  to  the 
Virgin  full  of  grace  ! 

The  depth  of  grace,  or  the  fulness  of  grace  for  the 
benefit  and  salvation  of  our  fellow-beings  ( charismata ). 
No  human  career  was  ever  so  clearly  destined  for  the 
benefit  of  men  as  was  Mary’s  life.  Every  man  who  has 
an  appointment  from  God  to  discharge  a  special  mission 
for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow-men  is  always  fitted  by  God 
in  a  way  becoming  a  messenger  from  God. 

Thus  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  announced 
their  divine  mission  amid  the  working  of  miracles,  while 
with  the  eye  of  a  seer  they  peered  into  remote  futurity. 
Thus  the  apostles,  together  with  the  power  of  miracles, 
possessed  the  gift  of  tongues  and  a  personal  infallibility 
in  matters  of  faith.  All  their  words  and  works  were  at¬ 
tended  with  marvellous  results.  Thus,  after  the  first 
sermon  preached  by  St.  Peter  on  Whitsunday,  three 
thousand  Jews  were  converted  and  demanded  Baptism. 
(Acts  ii.  41.)  Therefore,  Christian  reader,  what  ought  to 
be  expected  from  the  very  Queen  of  prophets  and  apostles  ? 
Her  gift  of  prophecy  she  displays  in  a  glorious  manner  in 
her  hymn  of  “The  Magnificat.”  During  the  course  of 
ages,  her  miracles  have  been  so  frequent  and  multiplied, 
that  it  might  be  said  the  Almighty  God  works  no  miracle 


140  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 

on  earth  except  through  Mary.  Her  treasury  of  graces 
for  bestowal  on  others  is  so  inexhaustible,  that  till  the  end 
of  time  she  can  supply  from  it,  to  all  who  are  in  need, 
help,  consolation,  light,  and  salvation.  Being  the  treas- 
uress  of  heavenly  goods,  she  has  power  to  bestow  the 
graces  earned  by  the  merits  of  her  own  divine  Son,  and 
of  all  the  saints.  St.  Thomas  says  :  “  If  a  saint  possessed 
so  many  graces  that  they  would  suffice  for  the  salvation 
of  all  the  men  in  the  world,  this  would  be  the  highest 
grace  of  all.  Now  this  is  the  case,  first  of  all,  of  course,  with 
Jesus,  but  also  with  Mary.  In  every  danger,  you  may 
obtain  security  from  the  Blessed  Virgin.  You  can  also 
have  her  with  you,  to  help  you  in  every  work  of  virtue. 
She  is  thus  full  of  grace,  and  surpasseth  all  the  angels  in 
this  fulness. 

BLESSED  AMONG  WOMEN. - DOMINUS  TECUM  BENEDICTA 

TU  IN  MULIERIBUS. 

“  The  Lord  is  with  thee,  blessed  art  thou  among 
women.”  The  Lord  is  with  thee !  Holy  Scripture  in¬ 
forms  us  that  the  infinitely  sublime  God,  in  His  love  for 
man,  used  to  walk  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  under  the 
trees  of  Paradise  (Gen.  iii.  8).  Sacred,  blessed  near¬ 
ness  to  and  familiarity  with  God !  Enviable  pair  with 
whom  the  Lord  was  present.  Now  as  the  ever-biessed 
Virgin,  conceived  without  the  stain  of  original  sin,  had 
done  nothing  to  keep  the  Holy  Spirit  from  he:,  He 
was  always  with  her,  for  it  is  ever  His  delight  to  walk  with 
the  children  of  men  (Prov.  viii.  31).  Not  in  this  remote 
way  only  was  the  Lord  with  Mary;  He  was  and  is  im¬ 
mediately  with  her.  From  all  eternity,  the  Lord  was  with 
Mary ;  because,  from  all  eternity  she  had  been  chosen 
and  contemplated  in  the  counsels  and  decrees  of  God 
as  the  future  Mother  of  the  Redeemer  (see  chapter  ii.). 


Mary  Saluted  by  God  through  the  Angel  Gabriel.  141 

Now,  as  in  the  existence  of  God  there  is  no  time  and  no 
succession  of  events,  Mary  in  a  certain  sense  was  adorned 
from  all  eternity  with  the  sublime  prerogatives  of  Mother 
of  God.  Thus  from  all  eternity  was  the  eternal  Father 
with  her  as  with  His  beloved  daughter.  From  all  eternity, 
was  the  Son  with  her,  as  with  His  most  cherished  Mother. 
From  all  eternity  was  the  Holy  Ghost  with  her,  as  with 
his  chaste  spouse. 

This  intimate  union  has  never  been  dissolved.  It  can 
never  be  dissolved,  nor  even  disturbed,  for  Mary,  on  her 
part,  was  always  with  the  Lord,  never  departing,  by  a 
finger’s  breadth  from  Him,  through  the  slightest  unfaith¬ 
fulness.  Always,  too,  she  was  with  God  the  Son.  Like 
a  fond  and  faithful  mother,  she  accompanied  Him  along 
the  thorny  path  of  life.  Even  on  Calvary’s  height,  she 
was  with  Him.  And  now  in  heaven,  the  Lord  is  with  her, 
and  she  is  with  her  Lord.  She  is  enthroned  as  Queen  of 
heaven,  she  presides  over  the  treasury  of  grace ;  and,  so 
to  speak,  over  the  omnipotence  of  God.  There  for  all 
eternity  is  she  to  be  praised  and  loved,  and  on  earth  men 
shall  praise  and  love  her  till  the  end  of  time. 

BLESSED  ART  THOU  AMONG  WOMEN. 

Christian  reader,  contemplate  that  train  of  pious  and 
heroic  women  who  in  ante-Christian  times  were  the 
sublime  prototypes  of  the  Virgin  of  Nazareth.  (See 
page  32.)  As  the  sun  surpasses  the  stars,  as  the  cedars 
of  Libanus  overtop  the  undergrowth  of  the  forest,  so 
does  Mary  tower  above  all  of  her  race.  She  unites  in 
herself  all  perfections,  all  virtues  peculiar  to  every  cir¬ 
cumstance  in  life ;  for  she  is  the  spotless  virgin,  the 
chaste  spouse  of  St.  Joseph,  the  most  worthy  mother,  the 
most  retiring  widow.  As  the  most  perfect  model  for  all 
of  her  sex,  Mary  is  blessed  among  women. 


142 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph, 


By  a  woman  did  sin  and  death  enter  into  the  world. 
By  a  woman,  too,  was  salvation  to  be  brought  back. 
And  this  chosen  woman  was  exempted  from  the  conse¬ 
quences,  from  the  cause  of  sin,  that  dismal  inheritance  of 
mankind.  She  remained  free  from  all  the  disgraces  and 
all  the  weaknesses  to  which  all  others  of  her  sex  were 
subjected.  This  one  woman  it  was,  who  was  chosen 
from  among  all  the  daughters  of  men  to  be  the  Mother  of 
God,  full  of  grace  and  consolation  for  men.  She  united 
in  her  own  person  virginity  and  maternity.  In  a  word, 
this  woman  was  Mary,  who  was  blessed  among  women. 

O  clement,  O  sweet  Virgin  Mary !  I,  too,  as  thy  poor 
servant  and  sincere  admirer,  would  fain  salute  thee,  but 
as  of  myself  I  could  not  hope  to  be  able  to  salute  thee 
in  a  becoming  manner,  I  join  in  the  salutation  of  the 
Archangel  Gabriel.  I  salute  thee  with  his  sentiments  of 
charity  and  of  veneration ;  and  at  the  same  time  with  all 
the  love  and  veneration  with  which  this  angelic  greeting 
has  been  tendered  to  thee  throughout  all  ages  and  in  all 
places,  both  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  by  thy  admiring 
saints,  and  as  it  will  be  both  in  time  and  eternity. 

At  every  moment  of  my  life  do  I  wish  to  tender  to  thee 
this  greeting,  this  salutation,  this  homage,  and  to  renew 
it  and  offer  it  again  and  again.  More  especially  would  I 
wish  to  thus  salute  thee  in  the  hour  of  my  death.  And 
lest  I  should  not,  in  that  solemn  hour,  be  able  to  offer 
thee  such  salutation,  I  do  it  now  by  anticipation.  With 
the  Archangel  Gabriel,  I  now  salute  thee  as  reverently  as 
thou  deservest  and  I  am  able,  saying :  “  Hail,  Mary,  full 
of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with  thee,  blessed  art  thou  among 
women.5' 


Ttie  Angel's  Message . 


143 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  ANGEL’S  MESSAGE. 

IF  the  holy  archangel  had  but  saluted  the  spouse  of 
St.  Joseph  in  the  name  of  the  Most  High  and  then 
vanished,  even  this  would  be  something  really  wonderful 
and  unheard  of.  But  the  greeting  was  only  an  introduc¬ 
tion  to  the  most  important  question  that  ever  occurred 
between  earth  and  heaven. 

THE  HAPPY  MESSAGE, 

Hear,  Christian  reader,  and  ponder  well  and  with  deep 
veneration,  the  other  portion  of  the  angel’s  message. 

“  And  the  Angel  said  to  her  :  Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou 
hast  found  grace  with  God :  Behold  thou  shalt  conceive 
in  thy  womb,  and  shalt  bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt 
call  His  name  Jesus;  He  shall  be  great,  and  shall  be 
called  the  Son  of  the  Most  High,  and  the  Lord  God  shall 
give  unto  Him  the  throne  of  David  His  father :  and  He 
shall  reign  in  the  house  of  Jacob  forever,  and  of  His 
kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end.  And  Mary  said  to  the 
Angel :  How  shall  this  be  done,  because  I  know  not  man  ? 
And  the  Angel  answering  said  to  her :  The  Holy 
Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most 
High  shall  overshadow  thee.  And  therefore  also  the 
Holy  which  shall  be  born  of  thee,  shall  be  called  the  Son 
of  God.  And  behold  thy  cousin  Elizabeth,  she  also  hath 
conceived  a  son  in  her  old  age  :  and  this  is  the  sixth 
month  with  her  that  is  called  barren  :  because  no  word 
shall  be  impossible  with  God.”  (Luke  i.  30-37.) 


144 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . 


How  can  it  be  possible,  Christian  reader,  for  me  to 
communicate  to  you  the  wealth  of  sublime  truth  contained 
in  those  words  of  the  holy  gospel  ?  What  sublime  lauda¬ 
tions  for  the  announced  motherhood,  what  glorious 
promises  for  the  expected  Son,  are  herein  contained  1 

THE  FULNESS  OF  TIME. 

Eight  hundred  years  before  the  miraculous  occurrences 
in  the  cottage  at  Nazareth,  the  inspired  Prophet  Isaias 
had  foretold  :  “  Behold  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a 
son,  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Emmanuel,”  that  is  to 
say,  God  with  us.  (Is.  vii.  14;  see  page  29.) 

And  now  the  angel  says  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  “  Behold 
thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb  and  shalt  bring  forth  a 
Son,  and  thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,  that  is,  Lord  and 
Saviour.”  What  a  remarkable  fulfilment  of  the  divine 
promises ! 

Christian  reader,  tarry  a  moment,  in  order  to  give  ex¬ 
pression,  from  the  bottom  of  your  heart,  to  your  feelings 
of  gratitude  for  that  fatherly  goodness  of  God  with  which 
He  begins  now  to  fulfil  His  given  promises  and  to  satisfy 
the  longing  of  suffering  humanity,  through  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary. 

This  Son  who  is  to  be  conceived  by  the  humble  hand¬ 
maid  of  the  Lord  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  most 
high  God.*  Thus,  the  Son  of  Mary  is  God.  This  Son, 
too,  shall  at  the  same  time  obtain  the  throne  of  David 
His  father.  As  descendant  of  the  house  of  David,  to 
which  Mary  belonged,  He  will  be  a  true  man.  Jesus 
Christ,  therefore,  is  God-Man,  and  as  such  shall  reign  in 
the  house  of  Jacob  forever.  In  adverting  to  His  heirship 

*  In  biblical  language  “shall  be  called”  is  often  used  for  “shall 
be.” 


The  Angel's  Message. 


r45 


to  the  throne  of  David,  the  high  dignity  of  the  Son  of  the 
Virgin  is  declared  to  be  truly  and  rightfully  a  royal  one ; 
while  the  reigning  in  the  house  of  Jacob  indicates  a 
churchly,  spiritual,  priestly  reigning  (administration). 
Both  together  point  clearly  to  and  signify  an  ever-living 
royal  high-priesthood.  For  it  was  Jacob  who,  after  he 
had  seen  the  angels  about  him,  descending  and  ascending, 
anointed  the  typical  altar-stone,  and  won  the  mysterious 
battle. 

From  Jacob,  to  whom  was  intrusted  the  covenant,  there 
came  forth  in  a  certain  measure  a  figurative  Church, 
visible  by  its  very  nature,  one,  all-embracing,  and  holy  ; 
and  now  in  the  Son  of  Mary,  the  same  is  completed, 
elevated,  and  diffused,  intended  for  all  places  and  all 
ages,  to  be  the  Church  of  the  new  and  everlasting  cov¬ 
enant. 

“  Of  His  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end.”  Consoling 
promise !  The  great  kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  at  first 
planted  like  a  mustard  seed  in  the  ground,  has  sprung  up, 
and  spread  out  slowly  but  surely,  further  and  further, 
its  proud  branches  over  the  earth,  so  that  all  men  may 
find  shelter  in  its  shade,  while  the  angels  of  heaven  rest 
within  its  foliages.  What  gigantic  efforts  to  root  this 
real  tree  of  knowledge  out  of  the  midst  of  the  earthly 
Paradise  have  been  made  by  the  powers  of  hell  and  the 
malice  of  men  !  But  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it.  Why,  then,  are  you  fearful,  O  ye  of  little 
faith!  To-day,  in  the  past,  and  in  the  future,  the  billows 
of  hatred  and  of  tyranny  may  dash  themselves  against 
the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  of  His  kingdom  there  shall  be  no 
end.  And  when  the  time  shall  arrive  for  the  struggling 
Church  on  earth,  and  the  suffering  Church  in  purgatory 
to  come  to  an  end,  the  Church  triumphant  shall  live  and 
reign  and  rejoice  and  still  be  the  triumphant  Church  of 
Christ  for  all  eternity  in  heaven,  assembled  about  the 
io 


146  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . 

glorified  Son  of  Mary.  “  Of  His  kingdom,  there  shall  be 
no  end.” 


THE  OVERSHADOWING  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

Ineffable,  mysterious,  worthy  of  the  profound  wisdom 
of  God,  will  be  the  process  whereby  Mary  shall  conceive 
the  Eternal  Word  and  still  remain  a  virgin.  “  The  Holy 
Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee  and  the  power  of  the  Most 
High  shall  overshadow  thee.”  Christian  reader,  bow 
down  in  humility  your  feeble  powers  of  mind  when  in  pres¬ 
ence  of  this  ineffable  mystery.  Believe  firmly  and  rejoice 
sincerely  that  this  event  has  come  to  pass,  though  you 
may  not  know  how  it  came  to  pass.  Consider,  too,  the 
following  truth  :  with  the  Incarnation  of  the  Eternal  Word 
there  began  a  new  creation.  This  is  immediately  united 
with  the  only  pure  specimen  of  the  first  creation,  namely, 
with  Mary  immaculate.  As  of  old  the  Holy  Ghost  de¬ 
scended  on  the  primitive  elements  in  the  first  creation, 
“  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  over  the  waste  of  waters  ;  ” 
(Gen.  i.  2),  so  does  He  now  come  down  again  in  His 
creative  power,  to  begin  the  regeneration  of  the  world  by 
the  formation  of  the  humanity  of  Christ  out  of  the  sub¬ 
stance  of  the  immaculate  virgin.  Neither  the  human 
nature  of  the  Saviour,  nor  its  union  in  the  womb  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  with  the  nature  and  person  of  “the  Word,” 
proceed  from  the  essence  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Christ,  the 
second  Father  of  the  human  family,  as  far  as  His  human 
nature  was  concerned,  was  formed  without  any  father, 
though  by  the  creating  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  out  of 
the  body  of  the  virgin  Mother,  in  order  to  be  born  of  her, 
as  in  the  beginning  the  first  mother  of  the  human  family 
was  created  and  formed  without  a  father,  from  the  virgi¬ 
nal  body  of  Adam,  by  the  omnipotent  hand  of  God. 


The  Angel's  Message . 


147 


Thus,  Mary,  through  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  of 
Christ,  becomes,  with  respect  to  God’s  coming  to  the  world 
and  His  continued  presence  in  it,  first  of  all  others,  and 
in  the  most  complete  sense,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  the 
throne  and  the  tabernacle  of  the  most  high  and  holy  God. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  angel  describes  the  mode  and  pro¬ 
cess  by  which  the  divine  nature  and  person  of  the  Word 
is  united  in  Mary  to  human  nature  as  overshadowing. 
For  in  a  similar  manner  did  the  Lord  descend  upon  the 
typical  Ark  of  the  Old  Covenant,  so  did  He  dwell  in  Solo¬ 
mon’s  Temple,  so  was  He  enthroned  on  the  wings  of  the 
Cherubim  above  the  Ark,  as  “  Schechinah.”  (3  Kings 
viii.  10-12.) 

Furthermore,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark,  that  this 
overshadowing  of  Mary  by  the  Holy  Ghost  is  by  no  means 
to  be  understood  as  meaning  that  in  the  supernatural 
conception  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Third  Person  of  the  Blessed 
Trinity  was  the  exclusive  active  power.  For,  according 
to  the  teachings  of  the  Church,  all  external  operations  of 
the  Godhead  are  attributable  to  the  Three  Divine  Persons 
acting  in  unison.  It  is  rather  this  ;  namely,  that  the 
formation  of  the  ever-sacred  body  of  Jesus  Christ  is  as¬ 
cribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost  in  about  the  same  way  as  we 
ascribe  the  creation  to  the  Father,  or  attribute  the  sancti¬ 
fication  of  men  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 

This  all  results  from  the  most  important  grounds, 
as  must  have  already  appeared  clear  to  you,  Christian 
reader,  from  what  has  just  been  said.  To  understand 
still  better  this  sublime  mystery  consider  the  following 
grounds : 

(a)  The  chief  and  foremost  element  in  preparing  the 
Blessed  Virgin  for  the  conception  of  the  Son  of  God  was 
a  holy  charity.  This  virtue,  which  is  the  opposite  of  earth¬ 
ly  and  sensual  love,  burned  like  a  holy  fire  in  the  heart  of 


148 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


this  incomparable  virgin,  and  thus  operated  in  her  bosom 
the  most  stupendous  and  miraculous  effects.  Now,  as  the 
dispensing  or  giving  of  this  holy  love  for  God  is  usually 
ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  is  proper  to  say  :  Christ 
was  conceived  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

( b )  In  this  way,  too,  is  revealed  to  us  the  truth  in  ref¬ 
erence  to  the  last  motive  that  impelled  God  to  assume 
human  nature.  This  was  no  other  than  the  infinite  love 
and  goodness  of  God.  Now  the  Holy  Ghost  is  really  the 
personal  mutual  love  of  the  Father  for  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Son  for  the  Father. 

(e)  By  this  means,  too,  it  is  made  clear  to  us  that  it  is 
an  entirely  undeserved,  gratuitous  grace  and  favor  to  our 
human  nature  to  be  thus  united  essentially  with  the  divine 
nature  of  “  the  Word ;  ”  for  the  dispensing  of  grace  is 
usually  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 

( d )  With  the  conception  of  Christ  this  operation  was  im¬ 
mediately  connected ;  namely,  His  human  nature  was 
sanctified  by  entirely  miraculous  superabundant  graces, 
and  by  them  raised  and  restored  to  the  natural  sonship  of 
God.  Now  as  our  adoption  by  God  to  the  rights  of  His 
children  is  usually  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  so  to  de¬ 
scribe  that  immediate,  intimate,  wonderful,  sacred  working 
with  the  conception  of  Christ,  it  is  taught  by  Holy  Scrip¬ 
ture  as  well  as  by  the  Church  catholic,  that  Christ  was 
conceived  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Thus,  you  see,  Christian  reader,  that  all  deeds  and  or¬ 
dinances  of  God,  and  all  teachings  of  Holy  Church,  are 
ever  directed  by  the  greatest  wisdom,  even  though  human 
short-sightedness  is  disposed  to  treat  them  as  riddles,  or 
human  malice  inclined  to  treat  them  as  human  inventions. 

“Oh,  the  depth  of  the  riches  of  the  wisdom  and  of  the 
knowledge  of  God  !  How  incomprehensible  are  His  judg¬ 
ments,  and  how  unsearchable  His  ways !  ”  (Rom.  xii.  33.) 


The  Angel's  Message. 


149 


TESTIMONY  TO  THE  TRUTH. 

The  holy  Archangel  Gabriel  gives  to  the  highly  favored 
and  highly  astonished  Virgin,  to  strengthen  his  assertions, 
still  another  sign.  He  informs  her  of  the  wonderful  con¬ 
ception  with  which  St.  Elizabeth  had  been  favored  in 
her  old  age,  and  when  there  was  no  hope,  humanly  speak¬ 
ing,  of  an  issue  according  to  the  laws  of  nature.  Surely, 
the  Almighty  God,  who  through  His  blessings  could  send 
issue  to  a  superannuated,  barren  woman,  could  also  make 
a  maiden  a  mother  without  any  detriment  to  her  virginity. 
For  with  God  there  is  nothing  impossible.  Christian 
reader,  understand  well  and  clearly  the  importance  of 
these  words,  and  impress  them  deeply  on  your  soul. 
When  you  look  upon  the  wonderful  ways  and  works  of 
God,  when  you  consider  the  sublime  mysteries  of  our  holy 
religion,  when  you  stand  astonished  at  the  condescension, 
love,  and  patience  of  God,  when  all  these  mysteries  pre¬ 
sent  themselves  to  your  mind  as  an  unintelligible  problem, 
then  remember  the  words:  “With  God,  there  is  nothing 
impossible.”  When  your  path  through  life  is  crooked  and 
wearisome,  when  the  wild  and  blinding  storms  of  passion, 
sorrow,  and  misfortune  thicken  around  you,  and  in  their 
rage  toss  you  hopelessly  to  and  fro,  then  direct  your  weary 
gaze  towards  heaven.  When  men  can  no  longer  help  you, 
or  when  their  help  would  be  of  no  avail,  God  will  help  you, 
for  with  Him  there  is  nothing  impossible,  that  is,  if  it  do 
not  contradict  His  dignity,  His  glory,  or  the  salvation  of 
mankind. 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . 


150 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  RECEIVES  THE  GREETING  AND 
THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  ANGEL. 

LET  us  now  consider  the  feelings  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
herself  on  hearing  the  salutation  of  the  angel  and  re¬ 
ceiving  his  message.  What  did  she  say  ?  What  was  her 
answer  ? 

Although  the  books  of  Holy  Scripture  contain  but  a 
meagre  account  of  the  rest  of  the  life  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  yet,  in  the  narration  of  this  particular  event,  we 
have  full  details  ;  and  even  the  words  are  preserved  as 
they  were  uttered  by  this  chosen  servant  of  God. 

Christian  reader,  these  details  are  full  of  instruction  for 
you.  The  words  are  familiar  and  dear  to  you. 

THE  ALARM. 

11  Mary  having  heard  the  angel,  was  troubled  at  his  say¬ 
ing,  and  thought  with  herself  what  manner  of  salutation 
this  might  be.”  (Luke  i.  29.)  Mary  was  troubled.  She 
was  troubled,  not  in  and  at  the  presence  of  the  angel,  for 
this  was  not  the  first  time  that  the  Queen  of  angels  had 
held  converse  with  these  heavenly  spirits.  She  was 
troubled  at  the  salutation  itself.  The  solemnity  of  this 
salutation,  the  lofty  praise  bestowed  upon  her  in  the 
greeting,  words  that,  in  sense  and  intention,  were  incom¬ 
prehensible  to  her, — all  these  things  seemed  perfectly 
alarming  to  the  humility  of  this  handmaid  of  the  Lord. 
This  it  was  that  filled  Mary’s  soul  with  alarm.  Hers  was 
not  that  state  of  consternation  which  destroys  all  presence 


Mary  Receives  the  Message  of  the  Angel.  151 

of  mind  ;  it  was  that  peculiar  dread  which  overtakes 
even  the  saints  and  other  persons  journeying  in  the  ways 
of  grace  when  they  are  in  doubt  about  the  will  of  Provi¬ 
dence. 

Then  she  thought  upon  God’s  presence  over  nature  and 
on  the  import  and  object  of  the  salutation,  wondering 
whether  the  whole  apparition  was  a  mission  from  God,  or 
an  intrigue  of  Satan  disguised  in  the  form  of  an  angel ; 
whether  this  salutation  could  really  be  intended  for  her ; 
whether  it  concerned  the  present  or  the  future.  What  a 
dignified,  tranquil  demeanor,  and  how  becoming  under  the 
circumstances,  do  we  discover  in  this  maid  of  fifteen 
summers,  the  orphan  daughter  of  St.  Anne !  How  differ¬ 
ent  the  demeanor  of  the  second  Eve  from  that  of  the  first 
Eve,  when  parleying  with  the  tempter  beneath  the  tree  in 
Paradise,  and  entertaining  his  proposition  and  promise, 
“  You  shall  be  as  gods.”  (Gen.  iii.  5.)  What  a  sublime 
example  she  affords  to  us  who  are  so  much  inclined  to  lend 
a  willing  ear  to  flatterers,  and  who  listen  to  their  exagger¬ 
ated  praise  till  we  lose  our  better  judgment  and  all  power 
of  contradiction  !  How  many  a  young  man  has  abandoned 
his  plighted  acts  of  faith  and  his  salutary  fear  of  God,  be¬ 
cause  he  possessed  but  little  self-knowledge  and  too  little 
prudence !  Or,  because  he  had  not  the  strength  to  de¬ 
spise  the  hypocritical  laudations  of  his  good  qualities,  to 
suspect  the  false  promises  made  to  him  by  worldlings. 
But  should  not  a  Christian  maiden  be  alarmed  when  she 
hears  her  beauty  and  virtues  praised  ?  If  not,  then  she  will 
soon — alas  !  too  soon — have  an  opportunity  to  be  alarmed 
at  the  abyss  opening  before  her. 

REFLECTION. 

Although  the  angel’s  message  at  first  appeared  myste¬ 
rious  and  perplexing  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  yet,  to  the 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


*52 

announcement  that  she  was  to  be  the  Mother  of  the 
Messias,  she  replied  with  this  leading  question,  “  How 
shall  this  come  to  pass,  since  I  know  not  man  ?”  This  is, 
Christian  reader,  the  first  word  that  the  Holy  Scriptures 
give  as  coming  from  the  lips  of  our  beloved  and  venerated 
Lady.  Truly  they  were  worthy  of  her.  In  this  simple 
question  the  whole  grand  soul  of  Mary  reveals  itself,  as 
well  as  her  consecrated  virginity,  her  self-denial,  and  her 
strength  of  faith. 

It  reveals  her  consecrated  virginity.  The  most  im¬ 
portant  event  that  could  be  presented  to  the  admiration 
of  heaven,  earth,  and  even  hell,  came  suddenly  upon  this 
tender  virgin  in  the  still  retirement  of  her  room.  Both 
courage  and  presence  of  mind  were  required  to  meet  this 
unusual  message.  We  might,  therefore,  suppose  that  the 
Blessed  Virgin  had  not  time,  for  the  moment,  to  reflect 
upon  herself  or  her  own  position.  But  no,  it  is  not  the 
honor  thus  suddenly  conferred  upon  her  by  God  Himself 
that  occupies  her  thoughts.  She  lives  so  entirely  and  ex¬ 
clusively  in  the  tender  and  secret  treasure  of  her  heart,  in 
her  consecrated  purity,  that  it  is  constantly  before  the 
eyes  of  her  soul,  and  acts  as  the  measuring-rod  and  cri¬ 
terion  in  all  the  vicissitudes  of  her  life.  Hence,  there 
arises  at  once  from  the  depths  of  her  soul,  this  reflection, 
Can  this  proposition  be  reconciled  with  my  vow  ?  Thus 
she  confesses  her  vow  to  the  angels,  at  the  same  time  re¬ 
newing  it  in  the  most  solemn  and  sacred  moment  of  her 
life.  Christian  young  woman,  look  upon  this  bright 
example,  whenever,  by  proposal,  occasion,  or  danger,  the 
greatest  treasure  of  your  heart  is  concerned.  Do  not 
wait  to  think  on  what  is  said  to  you,  nor  to  survey  the 
circumstances,  but  ask  at  once,  How  can  this  come  to 
pass  without  injury  to  my  innocence  ? 

It  shows  forth  Mary’s  self-denial.  Unspeakably  great 
Was  the  Blessed  Virgin’s  longing  for  the  coming  of  the 


Ma,7'y  Receives  the  Message  of  the  Angel.  153 

Redeemer  ;  great,  too,  was  her  just  appreciation  of  those 
graces  that  were  bound  up  with  her  divine  maternity ;  great 
and  glowing  was  her  love  for  the  Saviour  ;  so  great,  that  it 
was  only  by  the  most  intimate  union  with  Him  her  long¬ 
ing  heart  could  be  satisfied.  Infinitely  great  things, 
therefore,  were  offered  to  her  by  the  angel.  On  the  other 
hand,  she  remembered  a  certain  promise  of  hers  made  to 
the  Lord  in  her  tender  youth.  But  was  not  this  vow 
made  thoughtlessly  in  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  ?  Can  it 
not  be  set  aside,  is  it  not  really  annulled  by  the  proposi¬ 
tion  now  made  to  her  by  God  ?  Thus  stood  Mary  be¬ 
tween  the  motherhood  of  the  Redeemer  and  her  vow  of 
virginity.  But  this  heroic  maiden  does  not  hesitate  a 
moment.  She  has  decided.  In  the  secret  recesses  of 
her  heart  she  whispers  :  “  I  will  pay  my  vows  to  the  Lord 
in  the  sight  of  all  His  people :  in  the  courts  of  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  in  the  midst  of  thee,  O  Jerusalem.”  (Ps.  cxv. 
18,  19.)  But  to  the  angel  she  spoke  aloud,  saying, 
“  How  shall  this  come  to  pass  since  I  know  not  man  ?  ”  It 
is  the  same  as  if  she  said,  it  must  be  on  condition,  in  the 
first  place,  that  she  would  remain  in  the  fullest  and 
most  perfect  sense  a  virgin ;  that  she  would  forego  the 
honor  of  being  the  Mother  of  God  and  Queen  of  angels, 
if  such  honor  could  not  be  won  consistently  with  her 
vow  of  virginity.  Christian  reader,  what  firmness  of 
character,  what  a  sublime  spirit  of  sacrifice,  are  here  dis¬ 
played  by  a  maiden  otherwise  so  timid  and  retiring! 
And,  alas,  on  the  contrary,  what  lamentable  cowardice  is 
often  manifested  by  Christian  young  women,  who,  for  the 
sake  of  a  pretended  settlement  in  life,  or  for  the  Judas  kiss 
of  a  brazen  flatterer,  lay  at  the  feet  of  their  deceivers 
the  garland  of  virginal  honor  and  virtue,  and  the  precious 
jewel  of  a  quiet  conscience  ! 

These  words  reveal  Mary’s  strength  of  faith.  Mary 
knew  the  prophecy,  that  a  virgin  would  conceive. 


154 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


Hence,  she  believed  without  hesitation  all  that  the  mes¬ 
senger  from  heaven  mentioned  to  her.  But  she  did  not 
know  how  it  could  come  to  pass  with  respect  to  her  vow. 
New  and  incomprehensible  as  was  the  mystery  of  the  In¬ 
carnation,  immensely  profound  as  was  the  angel’s  promise, 
incalculable  as  was  the  extent,  and  immeasurable  as  was 
the  range  of  the  promised  wonder-work,  many  as  were 
the  problems  and  apparent  contradictions,  opposed  as  it 
all  might  be  to  human  reason,  yet  Mary  had  no  hesita¬ 
tion  in  believing  the  truth.  Hence  she  deserves  to  hear, 
not  alone  from  the  lips  of  St.  Elizabeth,  but  also  from  the 
tongues  of  all  men  in  all  ages,  the  words,  “  Blessed  art 
thou  that  hast  believed,  because  those  things  shall  be  ac¬ 
complished,  that  were  spoken  to  thee  by  the  Lord.” 
(Luke  i.  45.) 

O  firmly  believing,  profoundly  believing  Virgin,  see  how 
in  many  places,  how  in  many  minds  and  hearts,  all  firm¬ 
ness  of  belief  in  the  truths  and  promises  of  God  is  dead 
and  buried,  or  at  least  is  beginning  to  decay.  What  is  to 
become  of  our  immortal  souls,  if  faith  which  is  the  light 
of  our  life  shall  cease  to  shine  ?  Dispel,  then,  all  the 
dangers  that  threaten  our  holy  faith.  Implant  it  in  our 
hearts,  make  it  more  and  more  firm  and  enduring,  that 
thus  Thy  beloved  Son,  Our  Lord  and  Saviour,  may  be 
better  known  and  more  and  more  loved. 

THE  CONSENT. 

The  angel  has  given  the  necessary  explanation. 
Mary’s  scruples  are  dispelled.  We  dare  not  doubt  but 
that  she  was  entirely  free  in  her  decision.  O  God,  what 
does  not  depend  upon  Mary’s  yes  or  no ,  on  the  decision 
of  this  spouse  of  the  carpenter  of  Nazareth.  Throughout 
all  ages  of  human  history  there  was  never  a  single 
moment  so  decisive,  so  universally  important,  so  widely 
embracing  as  this. 


Mary  Receives  the  Message  of  the  Angel.  155 

It  would  seem  to  us  that  at  this  moment  all  the  angels 
in  the  heavenly  court,  were  looking  in  breathless  expecta¬ 
tion  down  upon  this  simqfie  maiden  :  as  if  all  the  tears  and 
prayers  of  the  whole  world,  and  the  longings  of  all  hearts 
for  a  Redeemer,  were  so  many  eloquent  voices  imploring 
Mary  to  say,  Yes.  It  seems  as  if  the  patriarchs  and 
prophets  and  the  just  men  and  women  of  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  were  stretching  forth  their  eager  arms  from  Limbo? 
and  with  anxious  ears  and  throbbing  hearts  were  implor¬ 
ing  her  to  let  them  hear  an  affirmative  answer  to  the 
angel’s  message. 

Now,  Christian  reader,  collect  your  thoughts  and  your 
strength,  in  order  to  pronounce  with  becoming  reverence 
the  ever-memorable  answer  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  :  “  Be¬ 
hold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord,  be  it  done  to  me  accord¬ 
ing  to  Thy  word.” 

Christian  reader,  ask  yourself,  or  inquire  from  the  most 
learned  among  men,  whether  it  were  possible  to  find  a 
shorter,  more  beautiful,  more  pronounced,  or  more  char¬ 
acteristic  answer  under  the  circumstances  than  this  one 
that  came  forth  from  Mary’s  pure  soul.  This  answer  is 
a  very  mirror  of  brightness,  in  which  the  humility,  the 
obedience,  the  fortitude  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  are  re¬ 
flected  with  lustrous  splendor. 

Mary’s  humility. 

“  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord  !  ”  Precisely  in  the 
moment  when  she  is  raised  above  all  the  angels,  when 
she  is  made  the  Mother  of  the  eternal  Son  of  the  living 
God,  when  she  is  in  the  act  of  receiving  the  highest  of 
well-merited  laudations,  she  proclaims  herself  a  handmaid 
of  the  Lord.  What  unspeakable  humility  ! 

Permit  me,  Christian  reader,  to  say  here  a  comforting 
and  encouraging  word  for  all  those  who  by  reason  of  their 


156  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . 

condition  in  human  society,  or  by  their  calling  in  life,  are 
termed  handmaids  or  servants.  Very  often  do  such  per¬ 
sons  become  dissatisfied,  discontented  with  their  situation 
in  life,  and  they  would  fain  expostulate  with  God  for 
having  placed  them  in  their  unhappy  condition.  Who 
are  discontented  ?  All  those  who  see  in  their  condition 
nothing  more  than  a  way  of  earning  a  living,  and  who, 
in  the  struggle  for  bread  and  pursuit  of  money  and 
pleasure,  place  the  whole  object  of  their  existence,  and 
their  sole  gratification.  How  can  such  poor  souls  be 
otherwise  than  discontented  !  No  wonder  they  should 
fasten  their  greedy  eyes  on  -the  riches,  banquets,  and 
pleasures  of  the  fortunate  ones  of  this  life.  Those, 
however,  who  are  pious,  and  actuated  by  the  sacred 
principles  of  their  holy  faith,  who  are  sustained  by  the 
grace-life  of  the  Church,  and  by  the  powerful  examples 
of  the  saints — such  favored  souls  will  know  how  to  make 
a  virtue  of  a  necessity.  They  will  be  servants  not  only 
of  men,  but  servants  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  quiet  humility 
they  will  walk  contentedly  the  ways  of  God.  Along  their 
hard  and  self-sacrificing  journey  they  will  fix  a  steady 
gaze  on  Mary,  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord,  and  on  the  Son 
of  God,  “  who  emptied  Himself,  taking  the  form  of  a 
servant,  being  made  in  the  likeness  of  men,  and  in  the 
habit  formed  as  a  man,  He  humbled  Himself,  becoming 
obedient  unto  death.”  (Phil.  ii.  7.) 

Happy  the  servant  who  grasps  as  an  unfailing  support 
the  aids  held  out  to  him  by  the  Church,  in  order  to  carry 
himself  upright  in  his  laborious  calling,  and  who  uses 
them  as  means  to  earn  for  himself  a  crown  of  glory  in 
heaven.  But  masters  also  are  earnestly  warned  by  the 
handmaid  of  the  Lord  to  treat  their  subordinates  with 
parental  love  and  indulgence,  not  to  use  them  as  mere 
labor-machines,  but  to  have  a  due  solicitude  for  their 
souls ;  for  they  will  one  day  have  to  render  an  account 


Mary  Receives  the  Message  of  the  A?igel.  157 

for  the  time  these  servants  passed  under  their  roofs. 
Employers  should  not  forget  that  in  Jesus  and  Mary  all 
men  are  brethren. 

OBEDIENCE. 

Mary  does  not  say,  I  accept  the  proposal,  I  agree  to 
the  proposition,  or  other  similar  words.  No.  She  says, 
“  Be  it  done  according  to  Thy  word.”  It  was  not  her  own 
choice,  nor  her  own  decision,  but  a  free-will,  a  full  and 
complete  surrender  to  the  will  of  God  that  the  proposal 
of  the  angel  found  in  Mary’s  soul  and  should  be  here  ex¬ 
pressed.  What  a  source  of  consolation  lay  buried  in  this 
fiat,  this  “  be  it  done  ”  of  Mary’s,  for  the  subsequent  sor¬ 
rowful  and  afflicted  stages  of  her  whole  life !  It  con¬ 
tained  the  tranquillizing  assurance  that  He,  whose  will 
she  was  doing  then,  would  bestow  upon  her  the  strength 
to  do  it  at  all  times.  Christian  reader,  cast  your  eye  over 
all  the  works  that  have  been  done  within  the  pale  of  the 
Church,  during  all  ages,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
blessing  of  men.  Only  those  that  have  been  begun  in 
obedience,  led  forward  in  obedience,  and  sustained  in 
obedience,  are  really  great,  or  have  become  successful, 
enduring,  and  blessed  by  God.  So,  in  the  motherhood  of 
Mary  and  the  Incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  blessing  of 
obedience  should  not  be  wanting  on  the  part  of  Mary ; 
just  as  the  Son  Himself  became  obedient  even  unto  the 
death  of  the  cross.  Rejoice  then,  Christian  reader,  if  it 
is  your  happy  lot  to  walk  upon  the  safe  path  of  holy 
obedience.  Avail  yourself  of  every  opportunity  to  sub¬ 
ject  your  own  will  to  the  will  of  others. 

FORTITUDE  IN  SUFFERING. 

Although  Mary’s  consent  was  free,  yet,  free  as  it  was, 
she  was  clearly  convinced  and  perfectly  conscious  of  the 


158 


Espoused  to  St.  Joseph. 


responsibility,  the  obligation,  the  duties  involved  in  that 
consent,  and  which  she  now  took  upon  herself.  Great 
are  the  duties  and  tearful  the  days  of  a  mother  who  has 
to  raise  up  her  son,  who  is  also  her  God,  to  be  sacrificed 
on  the  cross.  Mary  thus  assumes  the  dignity,  and  she 
resolves  thereby  to  conceive  a  Son,  to  give  Him  birth,  to 
nourish  Him,  to  raise  Him  up  for  martyrdom,  for  the 
ignominy  of  the  passion,  for  the  death  of  the  cross. 

While  the  tender  Virgin  courageously  pronounced  the 
fiat,  “be  it  done,”  she  fixed  her  eye  on  Golgotha  in  the 
distant  future,  and  on  its  towering  cross.  Her  fiat  was 
not  alone  for  the  stable  at  Bethlehem,  but  also  for  the 
new  grave  in  the  garden. 

The  angel  offered  her  the  dignity  of  being  the  Mother 
of  God,  but  he  also  presented  her  with  a  seven-edged 
sword.  Here,  too,  she  pronounced  her  fiat. 

Mary  in  giving  her  consent,  became  not  only  a  Mother 
for  Jesus,  but  a  Mother  of  grace  for  men.  She  agrees  to 
become  for  all  time  the  Refuge  of  sinners,  the  Health  of 
the  sick,  the  intercessor  with  God  for  all  men.  She  re¬ 
solves  never  to  turn  a  tired  and  deaf  ear  to,  nor  to  have 
an  unfeeling  heart  for,  those  who  are  in  need  in  this  sad 
vale  of  tears  and  sorrows. 

As  it  was  congenial  to  the  merciful  heart  of  Mary  to 
dispense  consolation  without  intermission  in  the  future, 
to  heal  and  save  sinners,  and  exercise  a  mother’s  love 
towards  suffering  humanity,  so  did  it  suit  still  more  the 
natural  inclination  of  the  humble  maid  of  the  Lord  to  con¬ 
tinue  to  live  in  her  hitherto  retired  life,  unknown  and  un¬ 
named  in  the  world.  Alas,  Christian  reader,  among  all 
the  beings  adopted  into  sonship  by  Mary  under  the  cross 
of  her  dying  Son,  how  many  are  unworthy  children,  and  no 
comfort  to  their  Mother  !  Many  are  rebellious  children 
who  carry  anguish  to  their  Mother’s  heart.  Others  are  un¬ 
faithful  and  become  her  reproach.  Christian  reader,  have 


Mary  Receives  the  Message  of  the  Angel.  159 

you,  during  that  portion  of  your  life  already  passed, 
brought  uninterrupted  comfort  and  satisfaction  to  the 
tender  feelings  of  your  mother,  the  Church  ?  Are  yci 
to  her  an  honor  or  a  disgrace,  a  joy  or  a  sorrow  ? 

FIAT. — BE  IT  DONE. 

“  Fiat.”  At  the  beginning  of  the  first  creation,  when 
chaos  and  darkness  still  lingered  over  God’s  work,  the 
Almighty  Creator  said,  “Fiat,”  “  Let  there  be  light,  and 
there  was  light.”  In  the  beginning  of  the  second  creation 
the  Blessed  Virgin  utters  her  “fiat,”  Let  there  be  light, 
and  it  was  light ;  the  Light  of  the  world,  the  Light  to 
illumine  those  who  sit  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of 
death ;  the  Light  that  burns  on  the  mountain-top.  In 
the  very  moment  that  the  simple  virgin  uttered  her 
“fiat,”  and  thus  expressed  her  willingness,  the  angel’s 
message  begun  to  be  realized  in  the  Incarnation  of  Our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  in  the  chaste  womb  of 
that  same  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  The  angel  vanished,  the 
heavens  opened,  a  torrent  of  light  from  the  fulness  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  descended  on  the  entranced  virgin  as  she  knelt 
absorbed  in  silent  prayer.  Mary  becomes  the  Mother  of 
God,  and  the  Divine  Word  is  made  flesh  from  the  sacred 
person  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  What  a  jubilee  burst  forth 
among  the  heavenly  hosts  !  What  an  awakening  among 
the  inmates  of  limbo !  What  a  happiness  for  Mary. 
Only  the  cold  and  stolid  earth,  the  very  part  of  God’s 
creation  most  affected  by  this  ineffable  mystery,  lies 
supine  and  indifferent  in  its  slumber  of  sloth  and  of 
death.  To  move  that  earth,  to  rend  its  rocks,  still  more 
is  required;  the  death  of  the  Lord  Himself  is  required. 

Christian  reader,  rejoice  and  be  glad  with  grateful,  lov¬ 
ing  heart.  In  sentiments  of  joy,  happiness,  and  gratitude 
repeat  three  times  every  day,  when  the  bell  warns  you, 


160  Espoused  to  St.  Joseph . 

the  Angelus,  established  to  commemorate  the  angel’s 
greeting  and  the  beginning  of  the  Incarnation  of  Jesus 
Christ.  In  such  sentiments,  too,  of  joy  and  thankfulness, 
celebrate  every  year  on  the  25th  of  March,  the  Feast  of 
the  Annunciation,  known  to  our  forefathers  as  “  Lady 
Day  in  Spring.”  Even  now,  give  utterance  to  your  joy 
and  gratitude  in  the  following  prayer : 

Thrice  holy  and  ever  adorable  Trinity,  in  my  happiness 
I  thank  Thee  from  the  bottom  of  my  whole  heart,  because 
Thou  didst  resolve  to  save  poor,  fallen,  sinful  humanity. 
In  my  joy,  I  thank  Thee  that  this  great  benefit  has  been 
effected  through  the  mediation  of  the  Eternal  Word,  and 
because  the  ever-blessed  Virgin  was  chosen  by  Thee  to  be 
the  holy  medium  whereby  He  would  come  into  this  world. 
I  rejoice  and  thank  Thee  for  this  great  benefit,  in  my  own 
name,  and  in  the  name  of  all  salvation-seeking  men.  I 
share  these  feelings  of  joy  and  these  sentiments  of  grati 
tude  with  the  joy  and  gratitude  of  all  the  holy  angels.  I 
rejoice  at  the  infinitely  rich  abundance  of  honor  and 
glory,  that  has  accrued  to  Thee,  O  God,  through  the 
Incarnation  of  Thy  only  begotten  Son.  All  this,  O  Lord, 
I  offer  to  Thee. 

Ever-blessed  and  venerated  Virgin,  I  rejoice  with  all 
my  heart  at  the  honorable  and  honored  greeting  that  the 
Angel  Gabriel  extended  to  thee.  I  rejoice  that  thou  art 
so  worthy  of  this  praise.  But  I  rejoice  still  more  that 
thou  wert  chosen  above  and  before  all  thy  fellow-crea¬ 
tures  to  be  the  Mother  of  God.  I  congratulate  thee  on 
this  pre-eminent  honor,  and  thank  thee  according  to  my 
weak  strength,  for  having  accepted  this  dignity.  At  the 
same  time,  I  beseech  thee  that  thou  wouldst  turn  to  the 
profit  of  this  poor  world,  thy  dignity,  thy  merits,  and  thy 
love  for  me  and  for  all  other  poor  sinners.  Amen. 


PART  IV. 


HOW  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  LIVED  AND 
SUFFERED  AS  MOTHER  OF  GOD. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  VISITS  HER  COUSIN  ST. 

ELIZABETH. 


MORE  SPIRITUAL  FAVORS 


HE  holy  Archangel  Gabriel  leaves  the  humble  home  of 


A  Mary  at  Nazareth,  and  wings  his  flight  aloft,  in  order 
to  convey  to  the  heavenly  choirs  the  glad  tidings  of 
Mary’s  “fiat”  The  Virgin  was  once  more  alone  in  her 
apartment.  For  a  long,  long  time,  she  remained  in  a  holy 
trance.  As  day  succeeded  day  from  the  time  of  the 
angel’s  visit,  a  series  of  ever  new  and  divine  operations 
took  place,  increasing  the  fervor  of  her  soul,  and 
adding  new  accessions  to  her  inner  strength.  Daily 
she  acquired  new  light  from  Divine  Wisdom,  which  had 
established  its  throne  in  her  humble  habitation.  Her 
perception  of  God  became  clearer  and  more  penetrating 
than  was  ever  before  or  since  vouchsafed  to  any  saint. 
Yet  this  exact  and  full  perception  of  the  Deity  was  not  of 
such  a  nature  as  to  extinguish  in  her  heart  the  meritorious 
virtues  of  faith  and  hope.  On  the  contrary,  she  surpassed 
all  other  mortals  in  the  exercise  of  these  virtues.  Chris¬ 
tian  reader,  would  you  call  up  before  your  mind’s  eye  a 
feeble  picture  of  the  sacred  state  of  mind,  of  the  ineffable 
ii  161 


1 62  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Stiffened. 

happiness,  of  the  nearness  to  God,  of  the  fulness  of  grace, 
and  of  the  wealth  of  virtue  existing  in  the  soul  of  the 
ever-blessed  Virgin  from  the  moment  of  the  Incarnation 
of  Jesus  Christ?  Then  recall  your  own  state  of  mind, 
your  own  feelings  at  the  solemn  moment  of  receiving 
holy  communion.  Is  there  in  human  life,  a  moment  of 
purer,  sweeter,  or  more  heavenly  joy  than  the  moment 
of  our  intimate  union  with  God,  with  the  most  admirable 
and  most  amiable  Good,  with  Eternal  Love  itself,  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  ? 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

If  a  man  possessed  the  whole  world  with  all  its  pleas¬ 
ures  and  honors,  and  yet  was  alone,  and  unable  to  find  a 
companion  with  whom  he  might  share  his  vast  possessions, 
the  whole  earth  would  be  but  a  joyless  desert.  Even  the 
retiring  Virgin  of  Nazareth  felt  a  necessity  of  confiding 
to  some  heart  worthy  and  capable  of  appreciating  such 
mysteries,  the  near  approach  of  the  Messias,  and  the 
selection  of  herself  to  be  His  Mother.  The  information 
given  to  her  by  the  angel,  that  Elizabeth,  though  then  far 
advanced  in  years,  had  conceived  a  son,  led  Mary  to  hope 
that  her  saintly  cousin,  and  even  the  fruit  of  her  womb, 
might  also  have  some  connection  with,  and  share  in,  the 
work  of  Redemption.  Moreover,  ever  since  the  death  of 
St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne,  the  priest  Zachary  and  his  de¬ 
vout  wife  Elizabeth  had  been  acting  the  part  of  kindly 
parents  to  the  orphan  Mary.  Hence  she  longed  to  see 
her  motherly  friend,  Elizabeth,  not  indeed  from  selfish 
motives,  or  to  inform  her  of  her  new  dignity  of  Mother 
of  the  Messias,  but  rather  to  gladden  her  cousin  with  the 
news  of  the  angel’s  saving  message,  as  well  also  as  to 
congratulate  her  on  her  own  expected  progeny.  “  And 
Mary  rising  up  in  those  days,”  that  is  to  say,  shortly  after 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Visits  St.  Elizabeth.  163 

the  angel’s  visit,  went  into  “  the  hill  country  with  haste, 
into  a  city  of  Juda.”  (Luke,  i  39.)  Yes,  “  in  haste” 
went  the  Virgin,  borne  on  wings  of  holy  love,  joy,  and 
desire  :  in  haste,  for  it  was  not  becoming  for  a  young  and 
inexperienced  female  to  proceed  too  leisurely  along  such 
a  journey,  or  even  to  tarry  on  the  way.  She  was  accom¬ 
panied  in  her  journey  by  a  female  companion.  Her 
clothing  was  that  usually  worn  in  that  country,  consisting 
of  a  blue  robe,  a  crimson  cloak,  and  a  white  veil  so  thick 
that  even  her  most  intimate  friends  would  pass  her  on  the 
road  without  recognizing  her.  The  supreme  Queen  of 
heaven  proceeded  barefooted  over  the  rough  mountain 
passes.  Her  journey,  which  consumed  about  three  days, 
lay  to  a  great  extent  in  Galilee,  then  through  hostile  Sa¬ 
maria,  and,  finally,  across  nearly  the  whole  of  Judea, 
which  latter  country  was  traversed  by  mountains  and  cut 
up  by  rapid  torrents. 

Full  of  courage,  with  words  of  praise  to  God  on  her 
lips  and  gratitude  in  her  heart,  absorbed  in  holy  medita¬ 
tion,  the  brave  young  maiden  sped  along  her  way,  and, 
although  slight  and  frail  in  body  and  limb,  yet  agile  and 
fleet  of  foot.  But  in  her  immaculate  womb  she  bore  Him 
who  is  the  strength  of  the  weak,  the  comfort  of  the  weary. 
She  carried  Him  “  who  weighed  the  heavens  with  His 
palm,  who  hath  poised  with  three  fingers  the  bulk  of  the 
earth,  and  weighed  the  mountains  in  scales,  and  the  hills 
in  a  balance.”  (Is.  xl.  12.) 

Christian  reader,  this  journey  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
over  the  mountains  was  the  first  Corpus  Christi  procession. 
Mary  was  at  the  same  time  the  ostensorium  and  the 
officiating  high-priestess  who  carried  the  Holy  of  Holies,, 
Dispensing  blessings  and  graces  He  was  borne  along  in  the 
midst  of  His  creatures.  But  the  mysterious  secret  was 
concealed  from  the  eyes  of  men  who  are  devoid  of  faith  or 
charity.  Yet  around  Him  hovered,  in  invisible  attendance, 


164  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered \ 

hosts  of  loving,  adoring  angels,  chanting  and  doing  horn* 
age  to  their  Lord  and  Master.  Whenever  a  Catholic 
priest  is  seen  hurrying  forward,  alone,  through  field  and 
forest,  over  hill  and  vale,  in  fair  weather  or  storm,  perhaps 
in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  carrying  the  Blessed  Sacra¬ 
ment  in  trembling  hand,  or  else  on  his  throbbing  breast, 
then  and  there,  Christian  reader,  you  witness  a  repetition 
of  the  Visitation. 

MARY,  ELIZABETH,  AND  JOHN. 

The  end  of  Mary’s  journey  was  Hebron,  a  sacerdotal 
city  of  about  five  hours’  journey  south  of  Jerusalem,  and 
about  thirty  hours  from  Nazareth.  Within  this  city,  or 
near  it,  dwelt  the  pious  priest  Zachary.  “  And  Mary  en¬ 
tered  into  the  house  of  Zachary,  and  saluted  Elizabeth. 
And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  Elizabeth  heard  the  saluta¬ 
tion  of  Mary,  the  infant  leaped  in  her  womb  :  and  Elizabeth 
was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost :  and  she  cried  out  with  a 
loud  voice,  and  said  :  Blessed  art  thou  among  women 
and  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb.  And  whence  is 
this  to  me,  that  the  Mother  of  my  Lord  should  come  to 
me?  For  behold,  as  soon  as  the  voice  of  thy  salutation 
sounded  in  my  ears,  the  infant  in  my  womb  leaped  for 
joy.  And  blessed  art  thou  that  hast  believed,  because 
those  things  shall  be  accomplished,  that  were  spoken  to 
thee  by  the  Lord.”  (Luke  i.  40-45.) 

In  the  foregoing  passage  from  St.  Luke,  an  inexhaustible 
treasury  of  miracles  and  graces  is  held  up  to  our  pious 
contemplation.  Not  alone  the  heart  of  Mary  and  the 
home  at  Nazareth  are  sanctified  by  the  Word  made  flesh. 
The  fire  of  His  love,  the  fulness  of  His  graces  diffuse 
themselves  over  the  whole  earth  and  penetrate  info  will¬ 
ing,  deserving  souls. 

In  order  to  know  well  and  understand  this  wonderful 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Visits  St.  Elizabeth.  165 

progress  in  its  natural  sense  you  must  remember,  Chris¬ 
tian  reader,  that  the  house  of  Zachary  at  Hebron,  like  all 
the  houses  of  Palestine,  was  surrounded  by  a  closed 
courtyard.  This  had  to  be  passed  before  entering  the 
house  itself.  According  to  pious  tradition  the  Blessed 
Virgin  stood  before  the  outer  gate  of  the  closed  court, 
and  called  aloud  to  announce  her.  presence  and  to  make 
herself  known.  Thus  it  was  that  St.  Elizabeth,  before 
seeing  Mary,  knew  her  by  her  voice,  and  understood  by 
what  visitor  she  was  honored.  The  emotions  of  delight 
experienced  by  St.  Elizabeth  were  communicated  in 
a  miraculous,  sanctifying  manner  to  the  unborn  child 
in  her  womb.  Illumined  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  ven¬ 
erable  matron  saluted  the  holy  spouse  of  God,  address¬ 
ing  to  her  in  a  loud  voice  the  most  sublime  greeting  in  Is¬ 
rael  :  “  Blessed  art  thou  among  women.”  She  re-echoes 
the  greeting  of  the  Archangel  Gabriel.  He  had  uttered 
it  in  the  name  of  the  Church  triumphant  which,  through 
the  maternity  of  Mary,  was  re-established.  Elizabeth 
utters  it  in  the  name  of  the  Church  militant  which,  by 
the  sanctification  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  was  awaking  from 
its  long  sleep  of  death.  But  not  alone  the  Blessed  Vir¬ 
gin,  but  also  “  the  fruit  of  her  womb  ”  was  saluted  as 
“ blessed.”  Thus  it  is  clear  that  St.  Elizabeth,  by  a 
special  and  miraculous  revelation  from  heaven,  knew  of 
the  mysterious  event  that  had  taken  place  on  Annuncia¬ 
tion  Day.  How  meekly  and  sweetly  the  discreet  Virgin 
thanked  the  ever-good  God  for  having  anticipated  her, 
and  for  having  announced  to  her  cousin,  St.  Elizabeth, 
this  delicate  subject,  which  she  in  her  humility  could 
hardly  have  had  the  courage  to  make  known. 

As  in  the  home  at  Nazareth  the  humility  of  “  the 
handmaid  ”  was  the  fertile  soil  on  which  fell  the  seed  of 
divine  grace,  so,  too,  in  Zachary’s  house  is  the  humility  of 
St.  Elizabeth  the  cause  and  condition  of  her  own  illumina- 


1 66  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

tion  and  of  the  sanctification  of  her  child.  “  Whence  is 
this  good  fortune  to  me,  that  the  Mother  of  my  Lord  should 
come  to  me  ?  ”  Elizabeth  was  the  cousin  of  Mary,  and,  in 
age  and  by  reason  of  the  priestly  dignity  of  her  husband, 
would  be,  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  far  above  the  wife  of 
a  carpenter.  But  being  above  any  selfish,  proud  con¬ 
sciousness  of  her  superiority,  she  bows  down  humbly  be¬ 
fore  the  heaven-favored  spouse  and  Mother  of  God,  ex¬ 
pressing  touchingly  her  admiration  and  the  sense  of  her 
own  unworthiness  to  receive  this  visit  from  her  cousin. 
Still  more,  too,  does  the  mother  of  the  Forerunner  of 
Christ  express  in  the  above  beautiful  words. 

In  designating  the  Blessed  Virgin  as  “  the  Mother 
of  her  Lord,”  Elizabeth  gives  utterance  to  the  first  pro¬ 
fession  of  that  faith  that  was  to  be  held  by  all  future 
generations;  namely,  that  the  divine  nature  of  the  Eternal 
Word  was,  in  the  chaste  womb  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
united  with  the  human,  personal  nature,  and  that  conse¬ 
quently  the  chosen  Mother  of  Jesus  Christ  has  truly  the 
right  to  be  styled  “the  Mother  of  God.”  Finally,  Eliza¬ 
beth  congratulates  the  Mother  of  God  for  having  be¬ 
lieved  with  her  whole  heart  the  promises  of  the  Lord, 
as  brought  to  her  by  the  angel :  “  Blessed  art  thou  that 
hast  believed,  because  those  things  shall  be  accomplished 
that  were  spoken  to  thee  by  the  Lord.”  (Luke  i.  45.) 
She  had  the  more  reason  to  congratulate  Mary  on  her 
faith,  inasmuch  as  her  own  husband,  Zachary,  was  under¬ 
going  a  severe  trial  for  having  doubted  the  promise  of 
the  angel  in  the  Temple. 

THE  SAVIOUR  AND  HIS  FORERUNNER. 

As  St.  Elizabeth,  in  consequence  of  a  supernatural 
revelation  made  to  her,  gave  testimony  to  the  maternity  of 
her  cousin,  so,  too,  does  the  Mother  of  God  give  testimony 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Visits  St.  Elizabeth.  167 

of  the  high  and  holy  destiny  of  the  unborn  son  of  that 
same  Elizabeth.  Concerning  this  unborn  son,  who  was 
afterwards  St.  John  the  Baptist,  the  prophet  Isaias  pre¬ 
dicted  as  follows :  “  Give  ear,  ye  islands,  and  hearken, 
ye  peoples  from  afar.  The  Lord  hath  called  me  from  the 
womb,  from  the  bowels  of  my  mother  he  hath  been  mind¬ 
ful  of  my  name/’  (Is.  xlix.  1.)  The  Lord  visits  Llis 
Precursor.  St.  John  is  the  first  among  mortals  to  be 
cleansed  from  original  sin  by  virtue  of  the  Incarnation  of 
Jesus  Christ.  It  was  effected  even  before  birth.  In 
union  with  this  miraculous  remission  of  sin  there  came 
to  the  soul  of  the  yet  unborn  child  the  knowledge  of  the 
presence  of  the  divine  Child  in  the  chaste  womb  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.  With  what  exact  precision  the  angel’s 
promise  was  fulfilled !  “  He  shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  even  from  his  mother’s  womb.”  (Luke  i.  15.)  It  is 
Jesus  Christ  who  sanctified  the  child.  But  who  was  the 
medium  of  the  sanctifying  grace  ?  Mary.  It  was  Mary 
who  carried  the  Son  of  God  in  her  loving  person  to  the 
presence  of  St.  John’s  mother.  At  the  very  utterance  of 
Mary’s  salutation  the  miraculous  sanctification  was 
effected. 

Here  you  may  discover,  Christian  reader,  the  exalted 
office  assigned  to  Mary  in  the  arrangement  of  man’s 
salvation.  Jesus  Christ  is,  and  will  forever  remain,  the 
Fountain  of  all  grace  ;  in  Him  are  contained  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge ;  in  Him  dwelleth 
the  perfect  plenitude  of  the  living  Godhead  corporally. 
(Coloss.  ii.  3,  9.)  But  He  is  pleased  to  make  Mary  a 
mediating  channel  of  these  grace-treasures,  just  as  He  was 
pleased  to  give  us  Himself  through  her  mediation.  This 
system  of  sanctification,  established  as  it  is  by  God, 
will  endure  to  the  end  of  time,  for  He  cannot  repent, 
nor  will  He  repent,  of  having  instituted  this  way  to  salva¬ 
tion. 


1 68  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered . 

SACRED  FRIENDSHIP. 

As  the  Holy  Scriptures  inform  us,  Mary  tarried  with 
her  cousin,  St.  Elizabeth,  for  the  space  of  three  months, 
or  till  after  the  birth  of  the  infant  St.  John.  Three 
months  of  holy  friendship,  holy  joy,  and  holy  peace. 
Christian  reader,  enter  in  spirit  into  that  happy  home, 
join  the  company  of  these  holy  women.  Listen  attentively 
to  their  pious  conversation,  hear  them  pray  together, 
observe  their  mutual  attentions  to  one  another,  see  how 
diligently  they  work  side  by  side.  Sacred  and  blissful 
visit !  These  pious  souls  passed  the  time  of  their  visit  in 
heavenly  conversation,  in  vivid  recollections  of  the  mercy 
of  God,  in  humble  meditation  on  the  mysteries  of  divine 
revelation.  While  we,  Christian  reader,  you  and  I 
remain  cold  and  indifferent  with  regard  to  the  truths  of  our 
faith,  ungrateful  for  the  benefits  of  heaven,  lukewarm  in 
matters  pertaining  to  the  Gospel  and  the  Church,  so  much 
so,  that  we  do  not  speak  of  them  with  love  or  reverence, 
nay,  perhaps  we  criticise  them  in  a  spirit  of  doubt  and 
pride.  Let  us  learn  from  Mary  to  sanctify  by  a  religious 
spirit,  all  our  visits  and  conversations^those  occasions  so 
often  of  grievous  sin.  Let  us  learn  to  avoid  aH_useless 
visits,  to  shun  all  unholy,  vain,  useless,  and  uncharitable 
conversation.  [  When  the  peculiarities  of  those  whom  we 
visit,  or  who  visit  us,  do  not  permit  us  to  converse  always 
with  edification,  we  should  endeavor,  by  our  outward 
modest  demeanor,  by  our  moderation  in  pronouncing 
sentences,  by  our  dignified  reserve,  to  repair  the  injury. 

Such  conduct  will  usually  have  the  effect  of  making  a 
favorable  impression  on  the  minds  of  others. 

This  visit  of  our  sublime  Mother  of  God  to  her  cousin, 
St.  Elizabeth,  the  haste  and  the  fatigue  connected  with  it, 
the  spirit  of  godliness  that  pervaded  all  its  circumstances, 
the  long  stay  of  three  months,  all  show  to  us,  Christian 


The  Magnificat. 


169 


reader,  our  loving  Mother  as  a  true  friend,  as  a  devout 
friend,  as  an  upright  friend,  as  a  serviceable  friend.  The 
minds  of  men,  when  not  altogether  depraved,  are  disposed 
to  sympathize  with  others  in  benevolence  and  friendship. 
But,  alas,  what  a  wicked  distortion  is  often  given  to  the 
name  and  feelings  of  friendship  !  How  often  friendship 
degenerates  into  a  conspiracy  of  godlessness,  how  often 
Judas  comes  forth  under  the  appearance  of  a  friend  and, 
by  a  kiss,  betrays  and  gives  away  what  is  most  sacred : 
destroying  faith  and  innocence  !  Christian  reader,  show 
yourself  in  earnest  in  this  matter,  examine  carefully 
whether  the  friends  of  your  daily  life  are  really  a  help  or 
a  hindrance  to  the  saving  of  your  soul.  If  they  do  not 
conduce  to  your  spiritual  advancement,  then  rend  the  ties 
which  will  soon  bind  your  soul  to  vanity  and  sensuality. 
Examine,  too,  whether  you  discharge  towards  others  the 
duty  of  true  friendship,  and  whether  you  avail  yourself,  to 
the  best  of  your  ability,  of  this  powerful  means  to  work 
nobly  and  successfully  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  your 
friends.  But,  first  of  all,  reserve  in  your  heart  the  place 
of  honor  for  your  amiable,  holy,  and  beautiful  friend,  Mary, 
the  Queen  of  heaven. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  MAGNIFICAT. 

THE  HYMN  OF  PRAISE. 

A  FULL  measure  of  the  most  fitting  and  well-merited 
praise  was  lavished  upon  the  humble  maiden  from 
Nazareth  by  her  cousin  St.  Elizabeth.  A  grand  display 
of  beautiful  virtue  took  place  at  the  Visitation.  A  fulness 
of  miraculous  favors  was  sent  down  from  heaven  upon  all 


170  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

these  holy  souls,  the  holiest  that  ever  lived  upon  earth. 
In  view  of  these  miracles  from  heaven,  in  remembrance 
of  the  mysterious  ways  and  works  of  Providence  in  effect¬ 
ing  the  redemption  of  mankind,  in  motherly  feelings  and 
appreciation  of  the  nearness  of  God,  in  prophetic  vision 
of  God’s  future  kingdom  on  earth,  the  pure  soul  of  Mary 
elevates  itself  above  the  barriers  of  time  and  space,  while, 
as  a  heaven-inspired  seeress  and  chanter,  she  responds 
with  grand  and  indescribable  praise  to  the  words  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  as  uttered  by  the  lips  of  the  Mother  of  Christ’s 
Precursor.  This  canticle  of  the  inspired  Virgin  has  been 
known,  and  loved,  and  sung  in  all  languages  and  all  places 
throughout  Christendom.  It  is  called  “  The  Magnificat” 
from  its  opening  word. 

Christian  reader,  if  you  wish  to  obtain  an  insight  into  the 
pure,  humble,  and  beautiful  soul  of  your  beloved  Mother, 
meditate  often  and  thoroughly  on  the  canticle  styled  11  The 
Magnificat.”  But,  before  we  venture  even  to  make  any 
remarks  on  this  hymn,  let  us  pray  together  in  praise  and 
honor  of  the  most  high  God.  Let  us,  then,  unite  ourselves 
with  the  high  and  glorious  sentiments  with  which  the 
blessed  Mother  of  God  pronounced  those  heavenly 
words,  which,  even  till  to-day,  have  been  repeated  by  all 
the  saints,  all  the  priests,  and  all  the  faithful,  and  which 
will  be  repeated  till  the  end  of  time.  With  all  possible 
reverence,  then,  with  devotion  and  holy  joy,  sing  its  beau¬ 
tiful  strains  :  “  Magnificat  anima  mea  Dominum.  ” 

“  And  Mary  said :  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord  : 
And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour.  Because 
He  hath  regarded  the  humility  of  His  handmaid :  for  be¬ 
hold  from  henceforth  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed. 
Because  He  that  is  mighty  hath  done  great  things  to  me : 
and  holy  is  His  name.  And  His  mercy  is  from  genera¬ 
tion  unto  generations,  to  them  that  fear  Him.  He  hath 
showed  might  in  His  arm :  He  hath  scattered  the  proud 


The  Magnificat. 


I7I 

in  the  conceit  of  their  heart.  He  hath  put  down  the 
mighty  from  their  seat,  and  hath  exalted  the  humble.  He 
hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things  :  and  the  rich  He 
hath  sent  empty  away.  He  hath  received  Israel  His  ser¬ 
vant,  being  mindful  of  his  mercy.  As  He  spoke  to  our 
fathers,  to  Abraham  and  to  his  seed  forever.”  (Luke  i. 
48-55.)  Thus  spoke  the  holy  Mother  of  God. 

EXPLANATION. 

Consider,  now,  Christian  reader,  the  rich  and  noble 
meaning  of  each  separate  thought  in  this  canticle. 

“  Magnificat. — My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord.” 
Hardly  was  Mary  praised  by  Elizabeth  as  the  blessed 
among  women,  when  she,  on  her  part,  hastens  to  praise  the 
Lord  as  the  source  and  object  of  all  wonderful  opera¬ 
tions.  “  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord,”  that  is  to  say, 
my  whole  soul  and  being  shall  be  an  unbroken  hymn  of 
praise  to  the  all-merciful  God.  My  intellect  can  have  no 
pleasanter  occupation  than  that  of  praising  Him.  My 
will  knows  no  happier  duty  than  that  of  subjecting  itself 
to  His  holy  will.  My  heart  recognizes  no  object  worthy 
of  its  love  save  God  alone.  My  memory  shall  remember 
naught  else  save  my  God.  My  lips  shall  speak  only  of 
Him.  Christian  reader,  do  you,  too,  magnify  the  Lord  by 
dedicating  to  Him  thy  whole  being,  thy  outward  deeds, 
thy  inner  life  of  soul  ? 

“  And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour.” 
As  the  unborn  St.  John  leaped  in  his  mother’s  womb  for 
joy  at  the  coming  of  his  Lord,  so  too  was  the  holy  bride 
of  heaven  filled  with  joy  and  exaltation.  That  joy  and 
exaltation  has  no  object  save  her  God.  She  does  not  re¬ 
joice  in  herself,  nor  in  the  privileges  and  favors  bestowed 
upon  her.  This  rejoicing  in  God  is  the  only  true,  pure,  real, 
and  enduring  joyousness.  In  what,  and  where,  and  when 


172  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

do  you  rejoice,  and  find  honor  and  glory,  Christian  reader? 
Happy  you  are,  if,  with  St.  Paul,  the  Apostle  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  you  can  cry  out :  “  I  count  all  things  to  be  but  loss, 
for  the  excellent  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  my  Lord: 
for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  count 
them  but  as  dung,  that  I  may  gain  Christ.”  (Phil.  iii.  8.) 

“  Because  he  hath  regarded  the  humility  of  His  hand¬ 
maid.”  What  excites  in  Mary  a  homage  of  admiration  to¬ 
wards  God  is  because  He  directed  His  eyes  of  mercy  upon 
her,  who  was  living  in  poverty,  who  of  all  the  daughters 
of  Israel  was  the  lowliest  and  least  important,  without 
outward  elegance,  unknown  and  unrecognized  among  the 
people,  a  carpenter’s  wife  living  in  obscurity.  It  was  not, 
therefore*  her  distinguished  privilege  that  called  forth  her 
praises,  but  the  condescension  of  God.  How  frequently, 
Christian  reader,  do  our  hearts  chafe  with  sensations  of 
baffled  pride  when  the  hopes  and  expectations  of  our 
self-love  and  self-esteem  are  not  realized.  How  often  we 
are  tempted  to  complain  because  people  do  not  know  how 
to  appreciate  our  superiority,  our  ability,  our  infallibility. 
And  when,  by  permission  of  God  and  the  concessions  of 
our  fellow-men,  we  attain  even  partially  the  wished-for 
distinction  and  advancement,  we  ascribe  such  success  to 
our  own  merits. 

“  Behold  from  henceforth  all  generations  shall  call  me 
blessedo”  Here  Mary,  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  who 
permits  her  to  see  into  the  future,  speaks  with  positive 
certainty  of  what  will  come  to  pass.  She  knows  perfectly 
of  the  all-nation-all-times-all-creature-embracing  nature  of 
the  grand  work  of  Redemption,  which  has  made  its  be¬ 
ginning  in  her.  She  knows,  also,  that  henceforth  her 
name  will  be  inseparably  allied  to  this  sublime  spectacle 
of  a  merciful,  all-hindrance-conquering,  all-desire-satisfy¬ 
ing  Omnipotence.  She  knows  that  every  being,  whether 
in  heaven  or  on  earth,  who  returns  thanks  to  this  Omnip- 


The  Mag?iificat. 


17  3 


otence,  and  loves  this  Love,  and  adores  the  miracle  re¬ 
sulting  from  both  united,  and  who  acknowledges  Jesus  to 
be  God,  recognizing  Him  as  Lord  and  Saviour,  will  also 
praise  and  thank,  love  and  honor  her  whom  God  has 
chosen,  and  so  filled  with  graces,  that  she  might  be  His 
Mother.  Mother  of  our  Head,  Jesus  Christ ;  hence  to  the 
mystical  body  of  the  Lord,  that  is  we  who  are  as  His 
members,  she  cannot  be  a  stranger  nor  a  mere  disinter¬ 
ested,  unsympathetic,  highly  honored,  and  respected  his¬ 
torical  character,  but  at  once  a  Mother,  loving  and  loved, 
blessing  and  blessed. 

How  plainly  and  fully  the  prophetic  words  of  the 
virgin-seeress  have  been  verified  down  to  this  very  hour  ! 
Christian  peoples  of  all  ages  and  languages  have  entered 
into  holy  rivalry  in  glorifying  the  Mother  of  God.  In  all 
conditions  and  situations  in  life,  in  joy  and  grief,  in  hap¬ 
piness  and  misery,  we  turn  in  confidence  towards  Mary. 
The  Pope  in  the  chair  of  Peter,  the  ruler  in  his  chair  of 
state,  the  priest  at  the  altar,  the  scholar  in  his  study,  the 
orator  on  his  rostrum,  the  rich  in  their  opulence,  the  poor 
in  their  need,  the  sinner  in  his  sorrow,  and  the  child  in 
its  innocence,  all  invoke  and  praise  Mary.  And  you, 
Christian  reader,  are  you  on  your  side  moved  to  fulfil  the 
predictions  of  Mary  ?  Do  you  glorify  your  Mother  by 
cultivating  her  sublime  sentiments  and  imitating  her 
heroic  virtues,  by  practising  a  child-like  confidence,  by 
diffusing  and  establishing  her  homage  in  the  hearts  of 
your  friends  ? 

“  Because  He  that  is  mighty  hath  done  great  things  to 
me :  and  holy  is  His  name.”  It  was  not  on  account  of 
herself  nor  of  her  personal  merit  that  the  humble  hand¬ 
maid  of  the  Lord  deemed  herself  worthy  of  being  praised 
and  called  blessed  by  all  generations,  but  on  account  of 
the  great  miracles  that  were  to  be  wrought  by  God  through 
her  instrumentality.  Verily,  the  Lord  “  hath  done  great 


174  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

things  77  when  He  selected  Mary  and  preserved  her  from 
original  sin.  Great  things  did  He  when  He  sent  to  her 
the  angel’s  message.  But  the  greatest  was  when  He  be¬ 
came  man  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  thus  manifesting  both  His 
power  and  holiness,  and  by  calling  men  to  holiness,  lead¬ 
ing  them  and  binding  them  to  sanctity,  as  He  Himself  was 
holy.  To  you,  too,  Christian  reader,  He  that  is  mighty 
hath  done  great  things  ;  for,  in  His  infinite  love,  He  loved 
you  and  called  you  to  the  true  faith,  to  the  heirship  of 
heaven,  to  eternal  happiness.  He  hath  visited  you  with 
grace  and  mercy,  and  your  misdeeds  He  hath  washed 
away  in  an  ocean  of  merciful  oblivion.  Remember,  also, 
how  often  He  has  visited  your  soul  in  person  at  holy  com¬ 
munion.  What  homage,  what  love  do  you  pay  in  return 
to  the  Most  High  ? 

“  His  mercy  is  from  generation  to  generations,  to  them 
that  fear  Him.”  The  Lord  showed  mercy  to  the  Fathers 
of  the  Old  Testament  by  keeping  them  upright  through 
hope  in  a  Redeemer  to  come.  He  showed  mercy  when 
He  fulfilled  this  hope  through  Mary.  He  will  show  mercy 
to  the  end  of  time  by  always  pouring  out  His  graces  over 
the  world  and  the  souls  therein,  through  the  seven  chan¬ 
nels  of  the  holy  sacraments.  But  His  mercy  is  for  those 
only  who  fear  Him ;  for  the  Saviour  is  to  be  not  only  to 
the  resurrection,  but  to  the  fall  of  many.  Christian 
reader,  may  Jesus  Christ  be  to  you,  both  in  life  and  death, 
set  for  your  resurrection.  May  you  experience  His  mercy 
now  and  on  the  Day  of  Judgment. 

“  He  hath  showed  might  in  His  arm  ;  He  hath  scattered 
the  proud  in  the  conceit  of  their  heart.  He  hath  put 
down  the  mighty  from  their  seat,  and  hath  exalted  the 
humble.  He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things ; 
and  the  rich  He  hath  sent  empty  away.”  Here  the 
Blessed  Virgin  casts  first  her  vision  backwards  on  the 
grace-favored  history  of  the  Chosen  People,  and  then 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


MARY  AND  JOSEPH  FIND  JESUS  IN  THE  TEMPLE 


The  Magnificat. 


*75 


into  the  distant  future  on  the  destiny  of  men  arrayed  for 
and  against  the  new  kingdom  of  God.  In  the  olden 
time  Jehova  led  forth  with  power  the  Jewish  people 
from  the  slavery  of  the  Egyptians  and  destroyed  Pharao 
in  the  midst  of  his  pride.  Poor,  indeed,  was  Israel  and 
thirsty  for  salvation,  when  the  Lord  led  them  forth  from 
Egypt,  raising  them  up  and  feeding  them,  while  the 
kingdom  of  Egypt  and  the  proud  Chanaan  found  no 
favor  in  His  sight.  And  now  the  Lord  has  chosen  a 
humble  handmaid  to  be  His  spouse  and  Mother.  Soon, 
too,  He  will  gather  about  Himself  poor  fishermen,  making 
them  His  friends  and  the  heralds  of  new  and  glad  tidings. 
Soon  will  the  powers  of  heathendom,  the  gates  of  hell, 
direct  their  assaults  against  the  Church  of  Christ,  but 
they  shall  not  prevail  against  it.  Soon  will  those  be 
called  blessed  who  hunger  and  thirst  after  justice,  suffer 
persecution  in  its  defence  and  for  its  sake.  Those  who 
will  walk  in  humble  faith  will  be  fed  with  the  bread  that 
cometh  down  from  heaven,  the  Son  of  Mary  Himself  who 
hath  promised :  “  I  am  the  Bread  of  life,  whosoever 
cometh  to  Me  shall  not  hunger,  whosoever  believeth  in 
Me,  shall  not  thirst.”  (John  vi.  35.) 

Happy  you  are,  Christian  reader,  if  you  are  meek  and 
humble  of  heart,  and  thirst  after  justice,  but  yet,  with  a 
consciousness  of  your  unworthiness,  you  sit  down  in  the 
lowest  places  at  the  divine  banquet  for  “  he  that  exalteth 
himself  shall  be  humbled,  and  he  that  humbleth  himself 
shall  be  exalted.”  (Luke  xiv.  n.) 

“  He  hath  received  Israel  His  servant,  being  mindful  of 
His  mercy.  As  He  spoke  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham  and 
to  his  seed  forever.”  The  promises  made  to  Israel  by 
Jehova  were  mercifully  fulfilled  in  and  through  Mary. 
Standing  on  the  boundary  line  between  the  Old  and  the 
New  Testament,  she  influences  men  from  her  sublime 
prophetic  heights.  She  affects  their  beginning  and  their 


176  How  the  Blessed  Virgm  Lived  and  Suffered. 

end,  uniting  them  in  the  sublime  and  glorious  mystery  of 
which  she  is  the  bearer.  For  all  eternity,  the  descendants 
of  Abraham  will  praise  God’s  mercy  that  was  brought 
to  them  through  Mary.  Christian  reader,  when  you  re¬ 
call  to  mind  the  promises  of  mercy  that  have  hovered 
over  your  path  in  life,  do  you  not  find  yourself  justified 
and  bound  in  duty  to  cry  out  with  Jeremias,  the  prophet 
of  hope  and  of  lamentation  :  “The  mercies  of  the  Lord 
that  we  are  not  consumed  :  because  His  tender  mercies 
have  not  failed.  They  are  new  every  morning,  great  is 
Thy  [His]  faithfulness.  The  Lord  is  my  portion,  said  my 
soul :  therefore  will  I  wait  for  Him.  The  Lord  is  good  to 
them  that  hope  in  Him,  to  the  soul  that  seeketh  Him.  It 
is  good  to  wait  with  silence  for  the  salvation  of  God.  .  .  . 
For  the  Lord  will  not  cast  off  forever.  For  if  He  hath 
cast  off,  He  will  also  have  mercy,  according  to  the  mul¬ 
titude  of  His  mercies.”  (Lam.  iii.  22-32.) 

MARY  IS  EQUALLY  SUBLIME  IN  HER  SPEECH  AND  IN  HER 

SILENCE. 

% 

This  then  is  “  The  Magnificat.”  Christian  reader,  the 
deeper  you  enter  into  the  contemplation  of  the  truths  con¬ 
tained  in  “  The  Magnificat,”  the  more  brilliant  and  lovely 
becomes  the  image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Happy  we 
if,  like  St.  Elizabeth,  we  were  permitted  to  hear  the  noble 
prophetess,  all  inflamed  with  divine  charity,  all  beaming 
with  celestial  brightness,  praising,  in  melodious  accents 
and  burning  words,  the  infinite  power,  goodness,  and 
justice  of  God.  According  to  even  prejudiced  judges, 
this  canticle  of  Mary  is  at  once  the  most  beautiful  and 
significant  in  the  Holy  Book.  To  the  children  of  Mary 
it  is  certainly  a  matter  of  laudable  pride  and  heartfelt 
gratification  that  their  amiable  Mother  has  been  sur¬ 
passed  by  none  in  her  praises  of  the  Most  High.  She 


The  Magnificat. 


i7  7 


herself  appears  here  in  full  consciousness  of  her  own 
greatness,  and  yet  without  any  prejudice  to  her  humility, 
which  does  not  altogether  consist  in  suppressing  the  same, 
but  rather  in  publishing  it  as  testimony  and  evidence 
of  the  power  and  mercy  of  God  operating  in  her  soul. 
Here  she  receives  by  anticipation  all  the  honors  that  we 
render  to  her.  And  do  what  we  can,  say  what  we  can, 
in  her  praise,  we  can  only  repeat  imperfectly  the  words 
and  sentiments  spoken  by  her  own  lips  through  the  in¬ 
spiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

One  more  sublime  truth  is  brought  home  to  our  notice 
by  “  The  Magnificat.”  If  Mary  had  not  revealed  to  us  in 
this  canticle  a  portion  of  her  greatness  before  God,  we 
might  be  forced  to  believe  that  she  herself  had  not  an 
adequate  idea  of  her  importance,  nor  a  due  appreciation 
of  it.  In  the  silence  that  she  everywhere  else  maintains, 
and  in  the  lowly  simplicity  of  her  life,  we  would  discover, 
perhaps,  but  an  evidence  of  the  insignificance  of  her  share 
in  the  Incarnation.  Admirable  silence  of  those  virginal 
lips  that  knew  so  well  how  to  talk  sublimely.  What 
humility,  what  grandeur,  what  fidelity,  what  prudent  ret¬ 
icence,  to  thus  hold  concealed  in  a  severely  tried,  closely 
hidden,  and  deeply  humiliated  life,  such  profound  heart- 
secrets  of  miraculous  greatness  ;  to  understand  and  con¬ 
ceive  and  express  them  thus  magnificently  !  What  a 
bright  light  is  thrown  about  our  darkest  moments  by  the 
words  of  this  canticle  !  Voluntary  silence,  a  complete 
absorption  in  God,  in  those  circumstances  when  she  had 
a  right  to  exult,  modesty  in  all  her  words  and  acts  ;  such 
is  the  great  mystery  of  the  humble  Mother  of  God. 


178  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MARY’S  MOTHERHOOD  REVEALED  TO  ST.  JOSEPH. 

THE  HARD  TRIAL. 

7\  A  ARY  being  once  more  at  home,  after  her  three  months’ 
1  V  1  visit  to  St.  Elizabeth,  applied  herself  to  the  discharge 
of  her  simple  household  duties,  to  prayer,  and  to  the  read¬ 
ing  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Though  dwelling  on  earth,  her 
life  was  like  that  of  an  angel,  for  all  her  thoughts  and 
actions  were  directed  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  God.  But 
the  Almighty  had  not  given  to  her  in  vain  the  plenitude 
of  grace.  She  was  expected  to  correspond  to  and  co-op¬ 
erate  with  these  graces.  Even  now  there  arose  before 
her  soul  one  of  the  hardest  trials  of  her  whole  life  ;  one 
where,  in  order  to  overcome  the  trial,  she  would  be  called 
upon  to  exercise  all  her  heroic  virtues  :  her  faith,  her  hope, 
her  love,  her  humility,  her  patience  ;  and  to  exchange  her 
hitherto  peaceful  state  of  mind  for  bitter  tribulation. 

Since  the  memorable  Annunciation  Day,  on  the  25th 
of  March,  when  the  Word  was  made  flesh  in  her  womb, 
some  four  or  five  months  had  elapsed  and  the  heavenly 
mystery  could  no  longer  be  kept  concealed.  But  what 
was  St.  Joseph  to  do?  Inoffensive  and  quiet,  he  was 
pursuing  his  path  of  duty.  In  his  heart  dwelt  a  serene 
consciousness  of  the  most  perfect  inviolable  purity.  All 
along,  even  to  the  present  trying  moment,  he  had  been 
a  witness  of  the  extraordinary  holiness,  piety,  and  in¬ 
nocence  of  his  spouse,  whom  he  loved  above  any  other 
created  being,  and  for  whose  sake  he  would  have  gone 
cheerfully  to  death.  What  was  he  to  think  at  this  per- 


Mary's  Motherhood  Revealed  to  St.  Joseph .  179 

plexing  and  painful  discovery  of  Mary’s  condition  ?  His 
noble  soul  was  incapable  of  harboring  a  suspicion  against 
the  innocence  and  fidelity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  His 
dignity  and  his  delicacy  of  feeling  both  forbade  him  to 
mention  the  subject  to  her.  How  afflicting  to  his  tender 
heart  must  have  been  this  uncertainty  ! 

Mary’s  reliance  on  god. — her  humility. 

A  person  must  be  familiar  with  the  tender  solicitude  of 
a  maiden  and  understand  her  anxiety  to  preserve  her  good 
name  untarnished,  in  order  to  form  any  idea  of  the 
trouble  into  which  Mary  would  have  been  plunged,  had 
she  not  a  feeling  of  certainty  that  the  Lord  would  make 
all  well,  and  defend  and  preserve  her  honor  in  the  sight 
of  the  world.  But  it  pained  her  keenly  to  be  obliged  to 
notice  how  sad  St.  Joseph  was,  with  what  an  anxious  and 
perplexed  air  and  countenance  he  went  slowly  about  his 
duties.  He  was  the  noblest  and  most  upright  of  men, 
and  his  heart  was  grievously  oppressed.  But  you  may  ask, 
Christian  reader,  why  did  not  the  Blessed  Virgin  clear  up 
this  misunderstanding  ?  One  word  of  explanation  would 
have  satisfied  St.  Joseph,  and  re-established  him  in  his 
peace  of  mind  and  in  his  confidence  in  herself ;  strange 
and  unheard  of,  contrary  as  it  might  have  been  to  all 
human  experience  and  human  notions,  to  tell  of  this  ex¬ 
traordinary  conception  of  the  Son  of  God. 

In  this  painful  silence  of  Mary  discover  and  admire 
her  humility  and  her  reliance  on  God.  The  secret  held 
by  her  was  a  mystery  of  God,  the  miracle  wrought  in  her 
was  a  wonder-work  of  God.  To  God,  therefore,  it  be¬ 
longed  exclusively  to  reveal  to  whom  He  would  this 
mystery  and  this  miracle  :  as  indeed  He  had  already  some 
months  before  revealed  it  to  St.  Elizabeth,  and  to  the 
unborn  son  in  her  womb.  This  comforting  conviction, 


180  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered \ 

Mary  cherished  quietly  in  her  breast,  and  awaited  pa¬ 
tiently  the  hour  when  the  hand  of  Divine  Providence  Him¬ 
self  would  draw  aside  the  curtain  ;  though,  meanwhile,  she 
had  to  bear  in  silence  much  anguish  of  soul  while  looking 
at  the  misery,  suffering,  and  perplexity  of  her  afflicted 
spouse,  St.  Joseph. 

This  mystery  and  wonder-work  of  God  in  the  person  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  was  to  her  a  most  exalted  honor :  a 
distinguished  privilege  that  raised  her  above  the  angels, 
and  that  was  to  extort  from  all  generations  unceasing 
praise  and  blessings.  How,  then,  could  this  humble 
maiden  of  the  Lord  bring  herself  to  make  manifest  of 
her  own  accord  to  any  man  this  high  distinction  of  hers  ? 
Her  motive  should  be,  in  thus  acting,  to  extol  the  good¬ 
ness  of  God,  as  she  had  already  done  when  uttering  “The 
Magnificat.”  She  could  not,  however,  do  the  same, 
when  there  was  only  question  of  setting  herself  right  in 
the  eyes  of  men.  Sooner  would  she  permit  an  unjust 
suspicion  to  be  cast  upon  her  integrity,  sooner  would  she 
prefer  to  suffer  the  sight  of  St.  Joseph’s  anguish,  rather 
than  to  glorify  herself,  or  even  to  justify  herself,  or  even 
to  appear  to  do  so.  What  an  example  of  sublime  humil¬ 
ity  !  ' 


st.  Joseph’s  resolve. 

As  soon  as  the  grieved  and  deeply  crushed  St.  Joseph 
had  reflected  maturely  on  the  subject,  after  having  sought 
light  and  guidance  from  heaven  by  fervent  prayer,  he  felt 
compelled  to  adopt  the  only  course  left  to  him,  and  the 
one  demanded  by  charity  and  justice,  St.  Matthew,  in 
his  holy  Gospel,  relates  this  event  in  the  following  words : 
“Whereupon  Joseph  her  husband,  being  a  just  man,  and 
not  willing  publicly  to  expose  her,  was  minded  to  put 
her  away  privately.”  (Matt.  i.  19.)  Now,  how  are  we  to 


Mary's  Motherhood  Revealed  to  St.  Joseph.  181 

consider  this  resolution,  which  certainly  was  very  peculiar  ? 
How  does  it  agree  to  the  well-known  justice  of  St.  Joseph  ? 
This  determination  on  his  part  did  not  take  its  rise  from 
any  feeling  of  displeasure  at  her  silence,  nor  from  any 
suspicion  concerning  her  truth  and  fidelity.  It  was  the 
natural  outgrowth  of  his  strict  sense  of  justice,  and  of  his 
deep  sentiment  of  charity. 

During  all  ages,  Eastern  maidens  preserved  intact  with 
much  care  and  watchfulness  their  bodily  chastity.  Moral 
delinquency  among  them,  now,  alas  !  so  common  among 
even  Christians,  was  severely  punished.  According  to 
the  Jewish  law  it  was  death  by  stoning.  (Deut.  xxii.  20). 
Owing  to  this  severe  and  stringent  law,  St.  Joseph  had 
reason  to  be  deeply  concerned,  not  only  for  the  honor,  but 
also  for  the  life,  of  his  spouse.  Instead  of  enforcing  the 
law  against  her  and  against  her  betrayer,  he  wished,  by 
the  most  delicate  measures  possible,  to  rescue  her  from 
the  danger  which  really  threatened  her.  This  he  could 
effect  by  having  recourse,  in  accordance  with  the  usages 
of  his  nation,  to  a  secret  bill  of  divorce,  which  he  would 
quietly  place  in  her  hand,  and  in  which  no  mention  would 
be  made  of  the  cause  of  separation,  and  to  which  not 
even  a  witness  was  to  be  admitted.  In  pursuing  this 
course,  he  would  certainly  stand  before  the  eyes  of  the 
world  either  as,  a  giddy  and  thoughtless,  or  as  a  hard¬ 
hearted,  man,  who,  without  any  cause,  had  abandoned 
a  wife  who  enjoyed  the  highest  reputation  for  every 
womanly  virtue,  and  who,  moreover,  was  now  in  a  condi¬ 
tion  that  needed  manly  help  and  protection. 

But  this  upright,  self-forgetful  man  would  rather  accept 
the  character  of  being  a  cruel  and  faithless  monster,  than 
bring  his  highly  esteemed  spouse  to  exposure  and  misery. 
Do  you  understand  now,  Christian  reader,  the  justice  and 
magnanimity  displayed  in  the  resolution  of  St.  Joseph  to 
leave  Mary  privately  ? 


1 82  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

LIGHT  FROM  HEAVEN. 

So  hopeful  and  courageous  a  silence  on  the  part  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  such  a  high  sense  of  justice  and  nobility 
on  the  part  of  St.  Joseph,  really  deserved  that  God  should 
solve  the  difficulty,  explain  all,  and  transform  a  painful 
suspense  into  a  joyous  certainty.  St.  Matthew,  in  the  first 
chapter  of  his  Gospel,  thus  narrates  this  event.  “  But 
while  Joseph  thought  of  these  things,”  that  is  to  say,  on 
his  purpose  of  leaving  the  Blessed  Virgin  privately,  “  be¬ 
hold  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  his  sleep, 
saying,  Joseph,  Son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take  unto  thee 
Mary  thy  wife,  for  that  which  is  conceived  in  her  is  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  she  shall  bring  forth  a  Son  and  thou 
shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His  people 
from  their  sins.  Now,  all  this  was  done,  that  it  might  be 
fulfilled  which  the  Lord  spoke  by  the  prophet  saying, 
Behold  a  virgin  shall  be  with  child,  and  bring  forth  a  Son, 
and  they  shall  call  His  name  Emmanuel,  which  being 
interpreted  is  God  with  us.”  (Matt.  i.  20-24.) 

As  when,  after  a  dark  and  threatening  night  of  storm, 
the  sun  arises  with  more  than  ordinary  brilliancy,  light¬ 
ing  up  and  cheering  the  face  of  nature,  so  was  St.  Joseph’s 
•heart  flooded  with  a  very  ocean  of  happy  relief,  as,  on 
awaking  from  sleep,  the  clear  and  undoubted  conviction 
of  Mary’s  innocence  and  of  his  own  unexpected  honors 
was  settled  in  his  heart.  Not  only  was  anxious  doubt  re¬ 
moved  and  the  painful  perplexity  cleared  up,  but  he  saw 
for  the  first  time  all  the  honors  that  God  intended  for 
himself ;  namely,  that  he  was  to  be  not  only  the  spouse 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  but  also  of  the  Mother  of  God,  and 
the  foster-father  of  the  infinitely  powerful  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth. 

With  a  grateful  heart,  therefore,  St.  Joseph,  the  com¬ 
forted  and  favored,  fell  upon  his  knees  and  bent  himself  to 


Mary's  Motherhood  Revealed  to  St.  Joseph .  183 

the  ground,  to  thank  and  praise  the  Most  High  for  these 
precious  graces.  With  what  reverence,  too,  this  humble 
man  now  met  the  virgin  Mother  !  How,  heartily  and 
sincerely  they  united  in  singing  the  mercies  of  God ! 
With  what  sentiments  of  love  they  talked  about  their 
exalted  privileges,  and  their  impending  duties  towards 
their  expected  Guest  from  heaven  !  How  they  encouraged 
each  other  to  the  performance  of  their  work  of  piety  ! 
How  they  strove  to  become  worthy  of  the  high  mission 
entrusted  to  them,  and  to  gather  increased  merits  ! 

Ask  not,  Christian  reader,  why  God,  who  is  so  kind  and 
good,  was  pleased  to  send  upon  His  two  favorite  ser¬ 
vants,  Mary  and  Joseph,  so  severe  a  trial  as  the  one 
that  we  have  been  considering  in  this  chapter.  What  is 
more  befitting  to  those  souls  who  draw  near  unto  the 
heart  of  Christ  and  its  glory,  than  that  they  should  have 
the  most  prominent  share  in  His  sufferings  and  cross  ? 
What  other  duties  do  they  owe  to  redeemed  mankind, 
than  to  present,  by  their  noble  example,  in  the  most  fasci¬ 
nating  and  encouraging  pictures  such  virtues  as  have  been 
almost  entirely  banished  from  the  daily  life  of  men, 
namely,  a  complete  submission  to  the  will  of  God  and  to 
His  providence,  a  patience  that  rejoices  in  sacrifice,  and  a 
heartiness  and  a  wise  and  prudent  behavior  in  the  most 
perplexing  phases  of  life. 

How  easily,  Christian  reader,  you  lose  courage  and  be¬ 
come  exhausted,  when  the  horizon  of  your  future  is  dark¬ 
ened,  when  disappointed  hopes  and  apparently  misplaced 
confidence  make  your  heart  sick  nigh  unto  death  !  At 
such  times,  remember  not  only  the  glorious  example  of 
St.  Joseph,  but  with  courage  address  to  him  a  hopeful 
prayer,  that  he  may  preserve  to  you  light  and  comfort  such 
as  were  brought  to  him  from  heaven  by  the  message  of 
the  angel. 


184  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


MARY  AND  JOSEPH  GO  TO  BETHLEHEM.— NO  ROOM 
FOR  THEM  AT  THE  INN. 


SALVATION  DRAWS  NEAR. 


FROM  day  to  day,  heaven  and  earth,  the  angels,  and 
those  few  chosen  souls  on  earth  who  knew  of  the  holy 
mystery,  yearned  more  and  more  eagerly  for  the  birth  of 
Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  More  especially  did 
the  Blessed  Virgin  long  with  all  the  power  of  a  mother’s 
love,  and  all  the  ardor  of  love  for  God,  to  see  the  coun¬ 
tenance  of  her  Son  and  her  Saviour. 

The  sublimest  grace  and  the  greatest  happiness  of  a 
soul  is  to  see  God.  Mary  was  nowon  the  point  of  seeing 
that  divine-human  countenance  which  illumines  the  vaults 
of  heaven  for  all  eternity.  She  was  soon  to  see  filial  love, 
welcome,  and  fondness  in  those  eyes  whose  brilliancy 
shed  the  light  of  joy  over  all  those  millions  of  spirits  who 
stand,  and  who  will  stand,  about  the  throne  of  God. 
During  many  years  she  was  to  look  upon  this  lovely 
face  daily  and  hourly.  She  was  to  contemplate  it  as  it 
developed  in  beauty  and  expression  of  character,  and 
even  acquired  her  own  features  and  expression.  She  was 
to  look  upon  this  divine  face  in  all  its  apparent  uncon¬ 
sciousness  of  infancy,  in  the  charming  frankness  of  boy¬ 
hood,  in  the  more  serious  earnestness  of  mature  manhood. 
But,  still  more  did  she  long  for  the  light,  the  grace,  the 
salvation  that  the  Saviour  of  the  world  was  to  bring  to 
the  world. 

Gradually  and  in  holy  union  with  God  passed  the 
peaceful  months  that  preceded  the  birth  of  a  new  Child 


Mary  and  Joseph  go  to  Bethlehem.  185 

of  earth.  The  happy  mother  lived  in  the  certain  hope 
that  a  kind  Providence  would  Himself  direct  and  order 
all  things  so  that  His  Son  and  hers  would  see  the  first 
light  of  this  world  in  that  place  and  under  those  circum¬ 
stances  that  His  sacred  will  demanded,  and  as  the  pre¬ 
dictions  of  the  ancient  prophets  had  foretold. 

It  was  well  known  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  who  had  care¬ 
fully  studied  the  Scriptures,  that  the  prophet  Micheas, 
more  than  seven  hundred  years  before  had  designated 
Bethlehem  as  the  predestined  birthplace  of  the  Re¬ 
deemer.  His  words  were  :  “  And  thou  Bethlehem  Ephrata, 
art  a  little  one  among  the  thousand,  of  Juda :  out  of 
thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  the  ruler 
in  Israel,  and  His  going  forth  is  from  the  beginning,  from 
the  days  of  eternity.”  (Mich.  v.  2.) 

Nazareth  was  about  five  days’ journey  from  Bethlehem. 
At  this  season  of  the  year  the  weather  was  wet,  rough,  and 
inhospitable.  The  Virgin,  blessed  among  women,  was 
awaiting  from  day  to  day  her  important  hour  of  delivery. 
But  in  what  manner  was  the  promise  to  be  fulfilled  ? 
Admire  and  adore,  Christian  reader,  the  wise  dispensa¬ 
tions  of  God,  who  guides  the  hearts  of  men,  of  princes, 
and  of  beggars,  of  the  godless  and  the  righteous.  It  is 
not  an  angel  from  heaven  that  delivers  to  the  anxious 
Virgin  the  order  to  repair  to  Bethlehem.  No,  it  is  the 
Roman  Emperor,  Caesar  Augustus,  who  becomes,  in  the 
hand  of  the  eternal  King,  the  commander  on  this  point, 
and  the  instrument  of  the  divine  will,  that  thus  might 
be  verified  the  old  prophecy  written  in  the  Scripture,  that 
in  Bethlehem  the  Messias  was  to  be  born. 

REASONS  FOR  THE  JOURNEY. 

“  And  it  came  to  pass  that  in  those  days,  there  went 
out  a  decree  from  Caesar  Augustus  that  the  whole  world 


1 36  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered 

should  be  enrolled.  And  all  went  to  be  enrolled,  every 
one  into  his  own  city.”  (Luke  ii.  i,  3.)  This  proud  and 
powerful  ruler  of  the  widely  spread  Roman  Empire  ex¬ 
pected,  by  this  census  and  enrolment  of  the  people,  to  add 
glory  to  his  reign,  and  to  facilitate  the  collection  of  the 
oppressive  taxes  gathered  from  his  conquered  provinces, 
to  be  used  whether  in  peace  or  at  war.  Judea  had  been 
reduced  to  the  sway  of  the  Roman  sceptre.  As  in  that 
country  society,  whether  civil  or  religious,  was  founded 
on  tribal  and  family  government,  each  individual  was 
required  to  have  himself  registered  in  the  home  of  his 
family. 

Joseph,  being  of  the  house  and  family  of  David,  was 
obliged  by  the  law  to  report  himself  before  the  govern¬ 
ment  officials  in  Bethlehem,  which  was  David’s  city.  On 
hearing  orders  to  this  effect,  anxiety  and  perplexity  seized 
upon  the  noble  soul  of  Joseph,  as  he  thought  of  his  be¬ 
loved  and  tender  spouse.  He  could  not  obtain  an  ex¬ 
emption,  nor  substitute  another  in  his  place.  He  did  not 
dare,  under  the  circumstances,  to  leave  his  tender  spouse 
alone  and  unprotected,  he  feared  to  take  her  with  him  on 
so  arduous  a  journey.  But  Mary  quickly  discovered  it  to 
be  the  will  of  God  that  she  should  accompany  St.  Joseph 
to  Bethlehem. 

The  wise  and  prudent  Mary  had  a  strong  presentiment 
that  she  would  not  soon  return  to  Nazareth.  She  there¬ 
fore  provided  herself  with  some  few  things  neces¬ 
sary  for  herself  and  her  expected  infant.  St.  Joseph 
provided  other  necessaries  for  the  journey.  The  day  of 
departure  arrived.  The  mountain  torrents  rushing  down 
into  the  valleys  below,  rendered  many  parts  of  the  roads 
difficult  and  dangerous  to  travel.  The  cold  north-wind 
was  sighing  among  the  branches  of  the  tall  terebinth-trees, 
and  heavy,  leaden  clouds  already  foreboded  the  near  ap¬ 
proach  of  the  inclement  season.  It  was  towards  the  end 


Mary  and  Joseph  go  to  Bethlehem.  187 

of  December,  in  the  year  748  after  the  foundation  of 
Rome,  that  the  holy  pilgrims  came  forth  from  their  peaceful 
home  which  they  committed  to  the  care  of  God  who  had 
already  protected  it  for  the  nine  previous  months.  The 
Queen  of  heaven  mounted  the  beast  of  burden  standing 
in  readiness,  St.  Joseph  threw  his  cloak  about  his  shoul¬ 
ders,  grasped  his  long  pilgrim  staff  with  one  hand,  and 
with  the  other  seized  the  bridle  of  the  faithful  ani¬ 
mal,  Thus  they  wended  their  way  through  the  streets 
while  the  friends  and  neighbors  on  either  side  bid  them 
of  Nazareth,  godspeed  and  safe  and  early  return  to  their 
home. 

Consider  here,  Christian  reader,  how  Jesus  Christ,  while 
yet  in  His  Mother’s  womb,  leaves  even  His  earthly  home, 
out  of  the  same  love  for  us  that  moved  Him  to  leave  even 
the  uncreated  bosom  of  His  eternal  Father,  that  He  might 
be  still  more  sensibly  our  friend.  By  His  journey  to  Bethle¬ 
hem,  He  wishes  to  show  us  that  He  would  not  only  be  obedi¬ 
ent  to  his  Holy  Mother,  but  also  that  He  came  to  be  “  very  • 
slave  to  our  behests,  and  even  to  adapt  Himself  to  our  whim¬ 
sical  nature.  At  the  command  of  an  earthly  potentate, 
He  repairs  to  Bethlehem.  Although  by  descent  an  Is¬ 
raelite,  although  as  God,  He  had  loved  His  own  people 
with  a  divine,  unceasing,  and  unmerited  love  for  centuries, 
He  now  obeys  a  foreign  despot  who,  in  the  chances  of 
war,  had  reduced  the  Jewish  people  to  subjection.  He 
comes  at  a  time  when  that  royal  pagan  was  counting  his 
subjects  and  numbering  the  souls  in  each  province.  As 
if  His  very  humility  were  in  a  hurry  he  comes  in  order  to 
be  officially  and  formally  enrolled  on  the  lists  as  a  con¬ 
quered  subject  in  the  very  hour  of  His  birth.  Is  it  not 
wonderful,  Christian  reader,  that  the  same  humiliation 
against  which  the  creature  conceives  such  an  invincible 
repugnance  should  have  a  special  attraction  for  the 
Creator  ? 


1 88  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered \ 

HARDSHIPS  OF  THE  JOURNEY. 

Considering  the  delicate  condition  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  and  remembering  the  severity  of  the  season,  we 
can  understand  how  trying  this  journey  must  have  been, 
even  though  performed  in  short,  daily  stages.  Although 
she  everywhere  received  the  respect  always  shown  among 
the  Jews  to  females  of  Mary’s  condition,  yet,  owing  to  her 
sensitive  nature,  her  virginal  modesty  was  often  severely 
tried.  Therefore,  an  all-wise  Providence  compensated 
and  strengthened  her  by  unspeakable  consolations  of 
soul.  Absorbed  in  the  adoration  and  contemplation  of 
Divinity,  and  accompanied  by  choirs  of  angels,  the  tender 
pilgrim  pushes  on  her  way. 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  24th  of  December.  The  sun 
was  shedding  his  last  feeble  rays  down  through  the 
parted  clouds  on  the  city  of  Bethlehem  when  our  pious 
pilgrims  reached  the  height  over  against  the  town.  On 
catching  the  first  glimpse  of  the  city  of  her  forefathers, 
and  remembering  the  impending  grace-bringing  birth  of 
Jesus,  St.  Joseph  cried  out :  “  Thou,  Bethlehem,  art  a 
little  one  among  the  princely  cities  of  Juda,  but  out  of 
thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  me,  that  is  to  be  the  Ruler 
in  Israel,  and  His  going  forth  is  from  the  beginning,  from 
the  days  of  eternity.”  White-veiled  ladies,  wearing  rich 
purple  mantles,  rode  by  on  camels ;  rich  merchants, 
mounted  on  fleet  Arabian  steeds,  galloped  past  them ;  the 
great  ones  of  Israel,  in  pompous  dignity,  rode  by  solemnly 
on  their  jennets  without  deigning  to  cast  a  glance  at  the 
Queen  of  heaven.  They  were  hurrying  on  to  Bethlehem 
to  secure  comfortable  lodgings,  for  within  the  last  few 
days  many  strangers  had  crowded  into  the  city.  St. 
Joseph  himself,  almost  exhausted,  urged  the  beast  of 
burden  to  its  utmost  speed,  in  order  to  reach  the  town 
and  secure  shelter  before  nightfall. 


Mary  and  Joseph  go  to  Bethlehem .  189 

Just  outside  the  wall  surrounding  the  city,  there  stood 
a  massive  square  building,  whose  white  walls  formed  a 
strange  contrast  with  the  pale  green  foliage  of  the  fig- 
trees  that  mantled  the  hill-side.  This  was  called  the 
Chan,  and  was  a  sort  of  inn  for  strangers,  where,  though 
refreshment  was  seldom  found,  yet  the  shelter  of  a  roof 
could  be  obtained.  Here  the  holy  pilgrims  entered 
timidly,  “but  there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn,” 
says  Holy  Scripture.  (Luke  ii.  7.)  For  them!  There  was 
no  lack  of  accommodations,  but  the  landlords  reserved  the 
remaining  available  places  for  wealthier  guests  who  were 
expected,  while  the  most  worthy  and  holiest  persons  of 
either  heaven  or  earth  were  turned  away  because  of  their 
poverty. 

BETHLEHEM  RECEIVES  NOT  ITS  OWN. 

Overwhelmed  with  grief  and  confusion  at  this  disgrace¬ 
ful  treatment,  the  holy  patriarch  endeavored  to  console 
his  worn-out  companion,  who  responded  by  a  pleasant 
smile  of  resignation.  He  had  been  born  in  Bethlehem, 
and  several  of  his  friends  still  lived  there,  who,  no  doubt, 
would  extend  to  him  a  kind  welcome  and  friendly  hospital¬ 
ity.  Again  seizing  the  bridle  of  the  poor  tired  beast,  he 
entered  the  city  proper,  wandered  through  the  streets, 
hoping  that  some  compassionate  Bethlehemite  would,  for 
love  of  God,  offer  him  shelter  for  the  night.  From  house 
to  house,  from  door  to  door,  they  strayed,  while  the  cold 
night-air  went  through  the  tender  frame  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  who,  though  uttering  no  word  of  complaint,  grew 
paler  and  fainter,  till  she  could  hardly  keep  her  seat  on 
the  beast.  Avarice,  the  besetting  sin  and  reigning  passion 
among  the  Hebrews,  denied  a  resting-place  to  Jesus 
Christ,  just  as  that  same  vice  in  the  heart  of  Judas,  would 
again,  three-and-thirty  years  later,  deliver  Him  up  to  His 
enemies. 


190  How  the  Blessed  Virgm  Lived  a?id  Suffered, 

Night,  dark  and  gloomy,  had  now  settled  down  upon  the 
town  of  Bethlehem,  whose  inhabitants  made  merry  with 
the  strangers  in  the  inns  and  the  private  houses.  They 
laughed  and  joked,  ate  and  drank,  while  outside  their 
doors  stood  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  asking  in  vain 
for  admission.  Rejected  by  all  men,  despairing  of  being 
able  to  find  shelter  in  the  city  of  their  fathers,  the  weary 
pilgrims  left  the  inhospitable  streets,  not  knowing  where 
to  direct  their  steps,  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
wandered  over  a  plain  that  resounded  with  the  howls  of 
wild  animals  hungry  for  their  prey.  To  the  east,  not  far 
from  the  city,  there  was  a  cave  in  the  rocks,  thirty-seven 
feet  in  length,  eleven  feet  broad,  and  nine  feet  high.  This 
cave  was  a  sort  of  public  stable,  where  the  shepherds  of 
Bethlehem  sometimes  drove  their  flocks  for  shelter  against 
a  sudden  storm.  To  this  poor  place,  the  angel  of  God 
conducted  the  Queen  of  heaven  and  her  virtuous  pro¬ 
tector.  Here  they  decided  to  pass  the  night.  Gladly  and 
thankfully  did  these  two  holy  hearts  offer  up  a  prayer  to 
God  for  this  friendly  shelter. 

THE  EXAMPLES  OF  MARY  AND  JOSEPH. 

Christian  reader,  not  in  mere  dry  words  alone,  but  with 
tears  and  sighs  should  we  speak  of  this  fatiguing  journey, 
and  of  the  slights  and  neglect  offered  to  the  Mother  of 
God  by  the  hard-hearted  people  of  Bethlehem. 

Consider,  then,  in  the  first  place,  the  indescribable 
patience  and  the  admirable  contentment  of  these  holy 
pilgrims  amid  all  the  hardships  of  their  journey.  You 
can  hardly  bear  a  slight  sickness  or  a  little  bodily  pain 
without  showing  signs  of  discontent  and  impatience.  You 
complain  so  bitterly  and  pettishly  that  you  become  an 
annoyance  to  those  about  you,  who  have  nothing  to  do 
with  your  troubles. 


Mary  and  Joseph  go  to  Bethlehem.  19 1 

Consider,  in  the  second  place,  the  perseverance  with 
which  these  strangers  in  Bethlehem  sought  for  shelter. 
You  become  disheartened  and  vexed,  because  your  doubt¬ 
ful  and  improper  prayers  and  wishes  do  not  hnd  an  im¬ 
mediate  hearing  before  God  and  man.  You  think  that 
the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  must  grant  your  petitions  at 
once,  while  He  with  patience  inexhaustible  has  waited 
for  your  repentance,  and  hoped  for  your  faithful  conver¬ 
sion  :  you,  meanwhile,  wandering  farther  and  farther  from 
the  ways  of  truth  and  justice. 

Consider,  in  the  third  place,  the  poverty  of  the  Holy 
Family.  They  might  have  supplied  their  wants  and 
averted  their  ill-treatment  by  means  of  a  few  pieces  of 
money,  which,  however,  they  did  not  possess.  Every  little 
trial  in  life  you  offer  to  God,  as  if  it  were  a  severe 
sacrifice.  Well  and  comfortably  clad,  well  fed,  well 
esteemed  by  men,  ensconced  in  a  comfortable  pew  in  a 
handsome  church,  there  to  read  sweet  prayers  out  of  a 
pious  book, — piety  does  not  consist  in  that.  The  vigor  of 
soul  required  for  securing  life  eternal,  for  doing  violence 
to  heaven,  and  thus  bearing  it  away,  does  not  consist  in 
such  piety.  Practise  and  love  holy  poverty,  that  is  to 
say,  a  poverty  voluntarily  chosen  and  borne  with  cheer¬ 
fulness,  whether  it  be  poverty  in  yourself  or  in  others. 
He  for  whom  the  people  of  Bethlehem  could  make  no 
room,  nor  afford  a  spot  where  He  might  enter  the  world 
to  redeem  and  save  it, — He  declared  poverty  to  be  blessed, 
both  by  His  word  and  example,  saying :  “  Blessed  are  the 
poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.” 
(Matt.  v.  3.) 


THE  WARNING  EXAMPLE  OF  BETHLEHEM. 

Consider  first  the  hardness  of  heart  of  the  Bethlehemites. 
Certainly  we  may,  to  a  great  extent,  excuse  them,  for 


192  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

they  sinned  more  through  ignorance  than  malice.  Had 
they  the  slightest  idea  of  the  heavenly  dignity  and  just 
claims  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  they  would  have  striven  for 
the  honor  and  glory  of  affording  her  hospitality.  But 
still  they  offended  against  natural  fellow-feeling  and 
charity,  against  neighborliness,  against  the  strict  duty 
of  assisting  and  sheltering  the  poor  and  homeless  stranger. 
You  cannot  very  easily  excuse  yourself  on  the  plea  of 
ignorance,  when  you  refuse  to  open  your  heart  to  your 
Saviour.  “  How  could  that  be  possible  in  me  ?  ”  you 
inquire  indignantly.  In  many  and  various  phases  and 
circumstances,  does  God  approach  us  in  life  and  ask  for 
favors.  But  we  do  not  know  Him. 

God  meets  us  under  the  appearance  of  every  kind  of 
trial.  These  bear  on  their  face  the  stamp  of  God’s  doings, 
yet  how  often  we  seek  to  turn  them  away  from  us  ?  God 
comes  to  us  under  the  form  of  a  neighbor.  On  the  day 
of  judgment  the  King  of  heaven  shall  say  to  them  that 
shall  be  on  His  right  hand  : 

“  Come  ye  blessed  of  My  Father,  possess  you  the  king¬ 
dom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
For  I  was  hungry,  and  you  gave  Me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  you  gave  Me  to  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  you  took 
Me  in  ;  naked,  and  you  covered  Me ;  sick,  and  you 
visited  Me :  I  was  in  prison,  and  you  came  to  Me.  Then 
shall  the  just  answer  him,  saying :  Lord,  when  did  we  see 
Thee  hungry,  and  fed  Thee  ;  thirsty,  and  gave  Thee  drink  ? 
And  when  did  we  see  Thee  a  stranger,  and  took  Thee  in  ; 
or  naked,  and  covered  Thee  ?  Or  when  did  we  see  Thee 
sick  or  in  prison,  and  came  to  Thco  ?  And  the  King  an¬ 
swering,  shall  say  to  them  :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  as  long  as 
you  did  it  to  one  of  these  My  least  brethren,  you  did  it  to 
Me. 

“Then  He  shall  say  to  them  also  that  shall  be  on  His 
left  hand  :  Depart  from  Me  you  cursed  into  everlasting 


Mary  a?id  Joseph  go  to  Bethlehem.  193 

fire  which  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  For 
I  was  hungry,  and  you  gave  Me  not  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  you  gave  Me  not  to  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  you 
took  Me  not  in  ;  naked,  and  you  covered  Me  not ;  sick, 
and  in  prison,  and  you  did  not  visit  Me.  Then  they  also 
shall  answer  Him,  saying :  Lord  when  did  we  see  Thee 
hungry,  or  thirsty,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in 
prison,  and  did  not  minister  to  Thee  ?  Then  He  shall  an¬ 
swer  them,  saying :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  as  long  as  you 
did  it  not  to  one  of  these  least,  neither  did  you  do  it 
to  Me.  And  these  shall  go  into  everlasting  punishment : 
but  the  just,  into  life  everlasting.”  (Matt.  xxv.  34-46.) 

God  comes  to  us  in  His  own  person.  Imbued  with  the 
same  undying  love  with  which  He  wandered  through  the 
streets  of  Bethlehem  poor  and  unknown,  asking  by  the 
voice  and  virginal  lips  of  His  blessed  Mother  for  admission, 
Jesus  dwells  in  the  tabernacles  on  our  altars.  By  the 
voice  of  His  priests,  He  invites  and  begs  us  to  come  to 
Mass,  that  He  may  visit  our  souls  with  a  very  wealth  of 
divine  grace.  He  invites,  and  earnestly  exhorts,  nay 
commands,  us  to  approach  holy  communion,  in  order 
that  He  may  most  intimately  unite  Himself  to  our  souls, 
and  make  them  His  resting-place.  But  we  are  deaf  to 
His  call  of  warning.  On  account  of  bodily  or  spiritual 
lethargy,  on  account  of  our  fear  for  the  opinions  of  evil 
men,  we  dare  to  refuse  admittance  to  our  Lord  and 
God. 

Consider  the  dreadful  punishment  that  followed  close  in 
the  wake  of  the  Bethlehemites’  hard-hearted  treatment  of 
Christ  and  the  Blessed  Virgin.  They  rejected  a  child, 
they  shall  soon  be  severely  punished  in  the  persons  of 
their  own  children.  But  a  few  short  weeks,  and  their 
streets  and  houses,  that  now  resound  with  the  voice  of 
merriment  and  happiness,  will  re-echo  the  shrieks  of  woe 
and  despair.  The  mothers  will  pray  with  wild  despair 


194  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 


for  their  children,  but  their  prayers  will  not  be  heard, 
because  they  refused  to  hearken  to  the  prayers  of  the 
Mother  of  God.  Therefore,  Christian  reader,  be  humble 
before  God  and  merciful  towards  your  neighbor,  in  order 
that  you  may  obtain  mercy. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  HOLY  NIGHT 


HRISTIAN  reader,  recall  to  mind  the  bright  and 


happy  days  of  your  youth,  with  their  Christmas  joys 
and  associations.  Recall  the  simple,  unquestioning  faith, 
the  childish  sympathy,  the  sincere  compassion  you  felt  for 
the  poor,  weeping  Infant  Jesus.  Recall  the  vivid  repre¬ 
sentation  of  the  stable  at  Bethlehem,  and  of  all  the  per¬ 
sonages  and  incidents  connected  with  the  birth  of  Christ 
as  presented  to  your  childish  wonder  on  Christmas  Eve  in 
the  so-called  “  crib.”  Once  again  think  on  your  pious 
mother’s  explanation  of  the  event  of  that  night. 


THE  PLACE  AND  THE  TIME, 


In  the  first  place,  consider  the  circumstances  of  the 
locality  and  of  the  time  in  which  Jesus  Christ  was  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary. 

Consider  the  stable.  It  was  a  home  of  poverty,  a  mere 
place  of  shelter  for  those  creatures  that  are  not  fit  to 
share  the  same  lodgings  with  men.  Mary  was  indeed  the 
poor  handmaid  of  the  Lord.  From  the  first  moment  of 
her  existence  she  was  segregated  from  the  rest  of  the 
ordinary  human  family  by  her  immaculateness.  She  was 
indeed  to  bring  forth  the  Good  Shepherd  who,  with  shep* 


The  Holy  Night. 


J9S 

herd’s  staff  in  His  hand,  was  to  go  before  His  sheep,  who 
all  know  Him,  as  He  knows  them  and  calls  them  by  name, 
leads  them  out  to  wholesome,  nourishing  pastures,  and 
seeking  to  gather  them  all  into  one  sheepfold,  which  is 
His  one  and  indivisible  Church. 

Consider  the  animals.  A  pious  Christian  sentiment, 
founded  on  the  words  of  the  Prophet  Isaias  (“  The  ox 
knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master’s  crib,  but 
Israel  hath  not  known  Me,  and  My  people  hath  not  under¬ 
stood  ”),  has  ever  loved  to  represent  the  stable  at  Bethle¬ 
hem  at  the  birth  of  Christ  as  inhabited^  by  an  ox  and 
an  ass.  There  is  something  very  touching  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  these  two  dumb  beasts  on  this  solemn  occasion. 
In  being  born  into  this  world,  it  pleased  God  to  descend 
to  the  deepest  humiliation,  and  to  share  this  debasement 
with  His  humble  Mother.  Mary  having  been  repulsed  by 
her  fellow-creatures,  is  forced  to  have  recourse  to  the 
rude  yet  affectionate  companionship  of  senseless  beasts. 
These,  with  meek  and  blundering  submission,  welcome 
the  Queen  of  heaven  ;  doing  the  best  they  could  with 
their  fresh,  warm  breaths  to  temper  the  chilly  frosts  of  a 
keen  midnight  in  winter. 

Consider  the  manger.  This,  the  first  throne  on  earth 
of  the  King  of  heaven,  was  hewn  out  of  the  white,  chalky 
substance  of  the  wall  of  the  cave.  White  indeed,  should 
be  the  color  of  Jesus’  crib,  for  He  was  the  spotless  Son  of 
the  immaculate  Virgin,  though  in  every  other  respect  it 
was  infinitely  unfitting  to  His  sublime  dignity.  In  this 
manger  was  usually  placed  the  fodder  for  cattle.  But 
not  alone  disgrace  attaches  to  this  crib,  which  holds  the 
body  of  the  Infant  Jesus,  a  beautiful,  appropriate,  and  pro¬ 
phetic  foreshadowing  is  connected  therewith.  This  crib 
foretold  and  foreshadowed  the  miracle  of  our  Christian 
altars.  It  was  a  symbol  of  the  dwelling  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  Sacrament  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist.  It  was,  more- 


/ 


196  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

over,  a  figure  of  His  intimate,  miraculous  union  with  men. 
It  was  a  sign  of  the  abundance  of  His  grace.  It  was  a 
symbol  of  the  treasury  of  divine  grace,  from  which  the 
Blessed  Virgin  would  unceasingly  draw  and  dispense, 
for  she  it  was  who  laid  the  divine  Son  in  it. 

Consider  the  straw.  Coarse  straw  forms  the  bed  of 
Christ  in  the  manger.  This  straw,  which  was  the  refuse 
of  an  Eastern  threshing  floor,  unlike  our  clean  and  well- 
prepared  straw,  is  generally  damp  and  fetid.  The  cross* 
which  was  Christ’s  last  death-bed,  was  a  hard  one  indeed  5 
but  it  was  prepared  for  Him  by  His  enemies  and  murderers. 
While  the  straw  bed  in  the  manger  was  arranged,  as  best  it 
could  be,  by  the  hands  of  His  own  Mother. 

Consider  the  darkness.  The  dull  light  from  St. 
Joseph’s  rude  lantern  casts  but  a  feeble  and  broken  light 
amid  the  thick  darkness.  In  the  midst  of  this  midnight 
gloom  God  appears  in  the  world,  out  of  pure  love  for  men. 
This  same  love  will  be  the  motive  for  His  painful  martyr¬ 
dom  in  broad  daylight,  in  the  face  of  all  Jerusalem.  That 
same  love  will  be  the  light  guiding  His  footsteps  to  Cal¬ 
vary.  That  hour  of  darkness,  was  the  chosen,  favorite 
time  for  the  uncreated  flash  to  burst  forth  from  heaven. 
It  was  the  heavy  curtain  that  concealed  Him,  as  does  to¬ 
day  the  veil  of  the  tabernacle.  The  deeper  the  darkness 
the  brighter  will  be  heaven’s  effulgence.  That  darkness  is 
also  a  striking  image  of  the  hopeless  and  darksome  abyss 
of  error  and  wretchedness  into  which  mankind  had  long 
been  plunged,  and  out  of  which  the  Saviour  had  come  to 
rescue  them  :  a  darkness,  in  which  “  the  Orient  from  on 
high  hath  visited  us ;  to  enlighten  them  that  sit  in  dark¬ 
ness,  and  in  the  shadow  of  death  ;  to  direct  our  feet  into 
the  way  of  peace.”  (Luke  i.  79.) 

Consider  the  coldness  of  the  night.  Even  the  very 
elements  were  unfavorable  to  their  Creator ;  and  so  proved 
themselves  as  soon  as  the  opportunity  presented  itself. 


The  Holy  Night. 


197 


The  winter  frost  almost  stopped  the  circulation  of  the 
chilled  blood  in  the  trembling  veins  of  the  weak  and  help¬ 
less  babe.  The  hands,  that  in  their  omnipotence  had  made 
heaven  and  earth,  and  in  their  goodness  had  blessed  it, 
are  shrunk  together  by  the  freezing  cold.  All  the  warmth 
of  Mary’s  motherly  love,  aided  by  the  sweet  and  whole¬ 
some  breath  of  the  meek  and  friendly  cattle,  could  hardly 
succeed  in  keeping  these  hands  of  Jesus  warm.  But  yet, 
the  coldness  of  nature  was  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
coldness,  still  and  stiff  as  death,  that  prevailed  among 
mankind.  It  was  like  a  Polar  sea,  a  wilderness  of  frozen 
icebergs ;  like  a  mountain  glacier,  always  stealthily  ex¬ 
tending  its  evil  influence  farther  and  farther,  and  on 
whose  barren,  fruitless  sides  the  sun’s  rays  fall  in  vain. 
Now  Jesus  Christ  comes  to  break  the  icy  bonds  of  this 
long-continued  frost,  for  He  Himself  tells  us  through  the 
writings  of  His  Evangelist,  St.  Luke  :  “  I  am  come  to  cast 
fire  on  the  earth,  and  what  will  I  but  that  it  be  kindled.” 
(Luke  xii.  49.)  Such,  Christian  reader,  are  the  prepara¬ 
tions  for  the  advent  of  the  King  of  eternal  glory  into  this 
world  :  a  stable,  two  animals,  a  manger,  some  straw,  dark¬ 
ness,  and  cold. 


THE  INFANT  JESUS. 

In  this  stable,  in  this  darkness,  in  this  cold,  before  the 
beasts  and  the  crib  with  its  straw,  stood  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  weary  and  sad,  hungry  and  cold.  And  yet  this 
stable  and  the  much-despised  maiden  in  this  stable  com¬ 
pose  the  very  centre  of  the  universe,  aye,  and  almost  to  the 
same  intense  degree,  the  very  centre-point  of  heaven  itself. 
In  compensation  for  her  extreme  poverty,  heaven’s  favored 
daughter  was  filled  with  ecstatic  joy  and  comfort  from 
heaven.  She  saw  clearly  that  the  momentous  hour  had 
come.  Holy  angels,  jubilant  with  joy,  hovered  about  her, 


198  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

dispelling  all  trouble  from  her  mind  and  all  suffering  from 
her  body.  St.  Joseph  having  withdrawn  to  a  small  separate 
cave,  the  Blessed  Virgin  knelt  upon  the  cold,  damp  ground 
absorbed  in  silent  prayer.  This  prayer  soon  developed 
into  a  state  of  miraculous  ecstasy.  She  saw  the  glorious 
mysteries  of  the  Godhead.  She  saw  the  sublime  designs 
of  God  in  His  admirable  dispensations.  She  saw  the  In¬ 
carnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  very  crown  and  keystone 
in  the  arch  of  God  s  mercy.  With  a  sacred,  loving  yearn¬ 
ing,  she  now  desired  to  receive  this  God-made  Man  in  her 
extended  arms,  and  to  clasp  Him  to  her  breast.  This  act 
of  intense  longing  on  the  part  of  Mary  just  coincided 
with  the  moment  predestined  from  all  eternity  as  best 
suited  for  the  birth  of  the  Eternal  Word.  The  rude 
sides  and  roof  of  the  grotto  faded  away  from  sight  amid 
the  choirs  of  brilliant  angels  and  the  dazzling  flash  of 
heaven’s  glory.  A  mysterious  movement,  imperceptible 
to  human  senses,  pervaded  all  nature.  As  the  ray  of 
light  from  the  sun  penetrates  the  crystal,  so  did  the  King 
of  eternal  glory  come  forth  from  His  virginal  bridal 
chamber.  In  the  stable  at  Bethlehem  a  new  and  especial 
sun  had  arisen,  before  whose  dazzling  rays  even  the  bril¬ 
liant  glory  of  the  pure  Mother  of  God  herself  faded  into 
paleness.  At  her  feet  lay  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  the 
future  Judge  of  us  all,  Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour  and 
Redeemer,  a  mere  child  ;  but  yet  clothed  in  celestial  light, 
in  heavenly  beauty,  in  heavenly  innocence. 

Still  and  silent  knelt  in  prayer  and  adoration  the  divine 
Mother,  till  a  gentle  motion  and  a  feeble  wail  of  the  in¬ 
fant,  of  the  Son  of  God,  of  her  own  child,  aroused  her  to 
natural  consciousness.  She  looked  down  and  saw  her 
child.  What  a  rapturous  look  was  this  first  look  of 
Mary’s  on  the  divine  Infant !  It  was  a  very  ocean  of 
bliss  and  blessings.  In  this  first  look  she  discovered  in 
the  face  of  Jesus  a  thousand  heavenly  miracles,  yet  saw 


The  Holy  Night. 


199 


that  His  loveliness  was  inexhaustible.  She  saw  that  in 
the  sunshine  of  His  perfect  features  the  beauty  of  all  the 
angels  in  heaven  was  reflected.  In  this  mirror,  she  sees 
the  reflection  of  her  own  countenance,  and  in  the  same 
moment  becomes  more  and  more  like  unto  her  God,  her 
divine  Original.  The  babe,  too,  returns  His  Mother’s  look, 
by  a  glance  of  grace  and  love.  At  this  look  an  extremely 
mysterious  change  takes  place  in  the  soul  of  the  virgin 
Mother.  God  had  changed  His  relations  to  her,  and  so 
the  fulness  of  grace  is  changed,  in  the  only  mode  pos¬ 
sible,  namely,  by  a  great  and  almost  incredible  increase. 
By  the  birth  of  Christ  she  was  clothed  in  a  new  fulness 
of  purity  :  for  God  augmented  such  grace  by  the  manner 
of  His  birth,  as  He  had  on  a  former  occasion  augmented  it 
by  the  manner  of  His  incarnation.  This  is  the  third 
degree  of  the  immeasurable  holiness  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  after  the  Immaculate  Conception  and  the  over¬ 
shadowing  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

This  look  of  the  divine  Infant  expressed  and  revealed 
His  mature  powers  of  reason  with  a  full  consciousness  and 
an  infinite  wisdom.  Yet  it  did  not  distort  or  dispel  the 
tender,  innocent  beauty  of  the  helpless  babe.  This  ten¬ 
der,  loving  look  of  His  invited  confidence,  and  by  its 
gentle,  quiet  nature  moved  to  worship  and  adoration. 

ADORATION. 

The  first  look,  the  first  thought,  the  first  emotion  of 
Mary’s  motherly  heart  was  an  act  of  adoration.  Who  can 
measure  the  depths,  the  inwardness,  loveableness,  and 
loveliness  of  this  homage  ?  This  act  of  Mary’s  embraces 
all  that  Jesus  Christ  is  and  has.  It  covers  this  all  with 
praise,  admiration,  reverence,  joy,  love,  and  exultation. 
His  human  nature,  now  eternally  and  inseparably  united 
with  the  divine  nature  in  One  Divine  Person,  she  adores 


200  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

ardently,  tenderly,  and  with  the  clearest  insight,  as  well 
as  with  the  deepest  humility  ;  with  the  tenderest  love  and 
with  the  most  reverential  admiration  and  wonder.  She 
adored  the  eternity  of  Him  who,  according  to  the  flesh, 
was  but  one  minute  old.  In  His  weakness  she  honored 
His  omnipotence.  She  saw  her  Son  lying  before  her 
speechless,  yet  discovered  and  worshipped,  in  Him,  infinite 
treasures  of  truth  and  wisdom.  Her  eye  fell  upon  an 
infant  trembling  in  the  icy  coldness  of  the  midnight  air  ; 
yet  her  soul  adored  Him  as  the  plenitude  and  fountain  of 
all  happiness  to  Himself  and  others.  Christian  reader,  if 
this  wisest  of  virgins  could  have  embodied  this  act  of 
adoration  in  words  that  we  could  understand,  what  a 
glorious  magnificat  she  would  have  chanted  ! 

This  first,  all-embracing  act  of  adoration  was  per¬ 
formed  by  the  Blessed  Virgin  not  alone  for  herself  per¬ 
sonally.  She  was  conscious  of  the  position  that  was  given 
her  in  God’s  creation,  she  therefore  included  all  humanity 
as  well  in  her  act  of  homage  and  in  her  heart.  For  our 
sake  she  offered  herself  up  to  the  new-born  Infant.  She 
declared  herself  ready  to  be  our  Mother,  although  she  well 
knew  that  our  spiritual  regeneration  would  be  for  her  an 
act  full  of  the  most  painful  sacrifice.  For  us,  too,  she 
offered  her  child,  Jesus,  to  the  eternal  Father.  This  act 
of  worship  so  worthy  of  God,  offered  up  to  the  Saviour- 
God  made  man,  by  His  newly  made  Mother,  for  herself 
and  for  her  fellow-creatures,  required  but  a  moment  of 
time. 

Now,  a  mother’s  instinct  clamored  in  her  heart,  urging 
attention  to  the  helpless  infant.  Jesus  Christ  was  not 
only  Mary’s  God,  He  was  also  her  child.  With  a  digni¬ 
fied,  gentle  inwardness,  altogether  indescribable,  the  vir¬ 
gin  Mother  bent  down  over  her  Son,  embraced  Him 
with  transports  of  delight,  and  pressed  Him  to  her  throb¬ 
bing  bosom.  And  as  she  stretched  forth  to  Him  her  timid, 


The  Holy  Night. 


201 


eager  arms,  there  appeared  upon  the  countenance  of  the 
Son  of  God  a  sweet  smile  that  enraptured  all  the  observ¬ 
ing  angels.  It  was  the  intelligent  smile  of  a  child  recog¬ 
nizing  his  mother,  the  happy  smile  of  the  Creator  recog¬ 
nizing  His  beautiful  and  perfect  masterpiece  of  creation. 
It  was  the  smile  of  a  heavenly  Father  approving  and 
rewarding  the  many  acts  of  sacrifice  in  Mary’s  life. 
Then  the  Blessed  Virgin  arose,  pressed  her  infant  to  her 
heart  rapturously,  imprinted  a  fervent  kiss  on  His  ador¬ 
able  brow.  Then  “  she  wrapped  Him  up  in  swaddling- 
clothes,  and  laid  Him  in  a  manger,”  as  St.  Luke  so 
sweetly  and  so  simply  describes  in  his  holy  Gospel. 
(Luke  ii.  7). 

ST.  JOSEPH  ADORES. 

During  this  sacred  and  solemn  hour,  St.  Joseph  had 
also  given  himself  up  to  prayer,  in  an  apartment  by  him¬ 
self.  Now  he  drew  near  to  the  blessed  manger,  in  order 
to  pay  divine  homage  to  the  child  over  whom  he  had 
been  commanded  to  preside  as  foster-father,  and  to  testi¬ 
fy  to  Him  his  fatherly  love.  Simple,  gentle,  dignified,  as 
was  his  whole  nature,  was  his  first  advance  towards  Divine 
Majesty.  His  tranquil  soul  resembled  a  sea  at  rest, 
that  in  its  depths  conceals  untold  treasures,  while  its  sur¬ 
face  lies  in  quiet  innocence  of  all  below,  merely  reflect¬ 
ing  the  beauty  of  the  sun.  It  was  his  peculiar  high 
privilege  and  duty  to  be  the  representative  on  earth  of 
the  eternal  Father  ;  hence  he  endeavored  to  imitate  in  his 
life  the  serenity  and  gentle  tranquillity  of  God.  It  is  just 
this  gentle  and  quiet  simplicity  that  is  most  acceptable  to 
the  divine  Child,  and  makes  us  most  like  to  Him.  St. 
Joseph  presented  himself  to  the  new-born  Saviour-God 
as  an  unworthy  servant.  He  offers  and  dedicates  to  the 
service  of  his  new  charge,  all  his  time,  his  labor,  his  cares, 


202  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  arid  Suffered. 

his  joys,  his  love.  Once  again  the  Infant  sanctified  him 
by  a  kind  look  and  approving  smile,  strengthening  him 
with  a  surprising  new  strength,  and  elevating  him  to  a 
lofty  height  of  unspeakable  holiness  and  grace,  in  order 
that  he  might  be  fitted  for  his  most  extraordinary  and 
most  mysterious  office  of  guide,  director,  and  commander 
of  God. 

OUR  ACT  OF  HOMAGE. 

Now,  Christian  reader,  you  too,  in  your  turn,  may  ven¬ 
ture  to  enter,  in  spirit,  the  stable  of  Bethlehem.  May 
your  soul  be  free  from  at  least  every  mortal  sin,  otherwise 
you  would  be  totally  unworthy  to  appear  before  these 
sanctified  persons.  But  no,  for  the  moment  let  us  not  be 
so  anxious  about  our  misery  ;  let  all  our  senses,  all  our 
love  be  directed  to  the  Infant  Jesus.  Animated  with 
this  full,  entire,  undivided,  reverential  happiness,  utter 
from  the  bottom  of  your  heart  the  following  greeting  of 
welcome  to  your  new-born  Saviour  in  the  manger  : 

“  Ever-gentle,  kindly,  amiable,  Infant  Saviour,  with 
deep  humility,  I  fall  on  my  knees  before  Thee  and  adore 
Thee  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  I  bid  Thee  welcome, 
most  high  God,  most  gracious  Lord,  welcome  to  earth. 
A  thousand  heartfelt  congratulations  I  offer  to  Thee  on  the 
occasion  of  Thy  happy  birth,  and  of  Thy  whole  life  on 
earth.  As  a  flower  spreads  out  its  leaves  towards  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  so  does  my  heart  with  all  its  powers  and 
desires  turn  to  Thee.  As  I,  in  most  sincere  love,  do  em¬ 
brace  Thee,  so  do  Thou  embrace  my  soul.  Take  me  into 
Thy  favor.  For  the  sake  of  Thy  grace-bringing  birth  re¬ 
member  not  the  manifold  offences  that  I  have  committed 
against  Thee.  I  humbly  implore  Thee  for  forgiveness  of 
my  sins.  Remember,  O  Jesus,  that  thou  earnest  into  the 
world  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.  Seek,  then, 
and  save  my  lost  soul,  drag  it  out  of  the  slime  of  sin. 


The  Holy  Night. 


203 


H  All-holy,  ever-blessed  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  God, 
with  special  love  and  joy  I  salute  thee,  and  congratulate 
thee  on  thy  virginal  delivery.  I  salute  thee  and  praise 
thee  in  union  with  all  the  angels  and  in  union  with  the 
first  amiable  look  and  first  smile  of  thy  heavenly  Child  for 
His  Mother.  O  thou  most  blessed  Virgin,  Mother  of 
God,  by  the  happy  birth  of  thy  Son  obtain  for  me  favor 
with  God,  and  secure  for  me  from  thy  divine  Son  the 
forgiveness  of  my  sins.  Thou  canst  obtain  from  Him 
any  favor  ;  for  He  is  really  in  thy  arms,  and  at  thy  dis¬ 
posal.  Ah  !  reconcile  me  with  Him,  and  obtain  that  He 
receive  me  into  His  favor  and  friendship.  True-hearted 
mother,  by  the  overwhelming  joys  and  graces  that  thou 
didst  receive  at  the  birth  of  thy  Son,  encourage  me  in  my 
troubles  and  hear  my  supplications.  Remember  it  was 
for  that  purpose  thou  didst  become  the  Mother  of  God, 
namely,  to  be  an  intercessor  for  poor  penitent  sinners, 
a  help  to  reconcile  them  to  God.  Show  me  thy  strength, 
and  by  thy  grace-bringing  intercession  rescue  me  from 
the  dangerous  state  of  sin. 

“Blessed,  happy  St.  Joseph,  I  beg  also  of  thee  that 
thou  wouldst  turn  to  my  advantage  and  benefit,  poor 
sinner  that  I  am,  all  thy  glory  and  happiness,  all  thy 
honor,  triumph,  and  dignity  as  foster-father  of  Our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  May  thy  steady  faithfulness,  thy  tranquil¬ 
lity  of  soul,  thy  simplicity  of  heart,  become  mine,  and  help 
to  make  me  worthy  of  eternal  happiness.  Amen.,, 


204  How  the  Blessed  Virgm  Lived  a?id  Suffered* 


« 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  SHEPHERDS  ARE  CALLED  TO  THE  MANGER  OF 

BETHLEHEM. 

OUR  eyes,  Christian  reader,  are  too  short-sighte  and 
imperfect,  our  imagination  is  too  dull  and  weak  to 
enable  us  to  see  clearly  and  appreciate  fully  the  glory  pro¬ 
duced  in  heaven  by  the  birth  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  both  in  the  eternal  Father  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
as  well  as  among  the  choirs  of  angels,  and  in  limbo 
among  the  souls  of  the  expectant  just.  Therefore  let  us 
examine  to  whom,  among  the  children  of  men  on  earth, 
the  glad  tidings  of  this  birth  were  first  brought,  and  how 
they  were  received. 

THE  ANGELS  BRING  GLAD  TIDINGS. 

The  promises  and  predictions  of  centuries  were  fulfilled 
and  verified,  the  divine  Messias  had  come  upon  earth,  and 
lay,  a  beauteous  babe,  in  the  manger  of  Bethlehem’s  stable. 
Should  this  sublime  miracle  remain  an  unknown  secret, 
or  should  the  happy  parents  of  this  Child  proclaim  every¬ 
where  the  tidings  of  salvation  ?  The  same  kind  Prov¬ 
idence  who  thus  far  had  so  wisely  and  so  admirably  con¬ 
ducted  events,  would  also  take  care  to  watch  over  the 
further  fulfilment  of  His  eternal  decrees.  Such  con¬ 
viction  was  firmly  planted  in  Mary’s  heart. 

“  And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds  watch¬ 
ing,  and  keeping  the  night-watches  over  their  flock. 
And  behold,  an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and 
the  brightness  of  God  shone  round  about  them,  and  they 


The  Shepherds  Called  to  the  Manger.  205 

feared  with  a  great  fear.  And  the  angel  said  to  them  : 
Fear  not  :  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy,  that  shall  be  to  all  the  people  :  For  this  day  is  born 
to  you  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord,  in  the  city  of 
David.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you  :  you  shall  find 
the  infant  wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes  and  laid  in  the 
manger.”  (Luke  ii.  8-12.) 

What  a  lovely,  heart-lifting  scene  is  presented  to  our 
admiring  gaze  by  these  simple  words  of  the  holy  Gospel ! 
The  shepherds  were  distant  about  three  miles  from  the 
scene  of  Our  Saviour’s  birth.  On  these  same  fertile  plains 
of  Bethlehem,  the  patriarch  Jacob  and  David,  the  royal  an¬ 
cestor  of  Jesus,  used  to  feed  their  flocks  in  the  olden  times. 
It  should  not  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  us,  Christian  reader, 
that  the  flocks  of  sheep  were  able  to  find  sustenance  at  this 
season  of  the  year  outside  the  pen  and  barn.  At  the  time 
that  our  winter  sets  in,  the  rainy  season  begins  in  Eastern 
lands.  During  these  days  of  rain,  the  earth  which,  dur¬ 
ing  the  summer  season,  by  reason  of  the  intense  heat, 
was  burned  dry  and  brown,  is  covered  with  a  fresh  green 
crop  of  after-grass.  Here  in  the  vicinity  of  Bethlehem, 
and  towards  Hebron,  were  fed  the  flocks  of  sheep  and 
herds  of  cattle  needed  for  the  unceasing  sacrificial  ser¬ 
vice  in  the  Temple.  It  was  thus  very  fitting  that  Christ, 
the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world, 
should  be  born  near  the  lambs  of  sacrifice,  on  the 
plains  of  Bethlehem,  and  should  first  announce  Himself  as 
the  Good  Shepherd  to  these  devout  shepherds. 

Who  are  these  shepherds,  and  how  did  they  merit  the 
distinction  of  being  the  first  summoned  to  the  grace- 
throne  of  Divine  Majesty  ?  We  know  but  little  of  them, 
Christian  reader.  We  see  them  only  for  a  moment  in  the 
starlight  of  Christmas  eve,  and  almost  at  the  same  time 
enveloped  in  the  glory  shining  from  on  high.  They  then 
disappear,  and  their  subsequent  history,  like  their  earlier 


206  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

lifetime,  is  kept  concealed  from  us.  Like  St.  Joseph’s 
history,  theirs  is  hidden  in  obscurity.  In  this  respect 
they  resemble  him.  They  possess  his  hidden  life  and  his 
simplicity,  without  his  high  dignity  of  office.  An  angel 
of  the  Lord  speaks  to  them,  but  they  are  not  on  that 
account  proud  or  puffed  up ;  neither  are  they  cast 
down  ;  they  are  afraid  only  on  account  of  the  unusual 
dazzling  light  that  surrounds  them. 

How  condescendingly  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  accommo¬ 
dates  Himself  to  the  lowliness  and  simplicity  of  these  poor 
shepherds.  They  are  men  who  have  grown  up  amid  the 
mildest  and  gentlest  of  the  animal  creation,  the  lambs 
that  they  cared.  Now  their  inward  life  dispositions  have 
assumed  a  lamb-like  character.  Beside  this  simplicity, 
there  is  visible  in  the  characters  of  these  first  worshippers 
of  Jesus  an  imperturbable  peacefulness  and  contentment. 
Yet  the  life  of  such  a  shepherd  was  not  an  enviable  one 
As  a  class,  they  were  poor,  living  a  life  of  hardship,  ob¬ 
scurity,  and  loneliness.  They  seldom  lived  within  doors, 
and  the  comforts  and  joys  of  home-life  were  almost 
unknown  to  them.  They  often  passed  the  night,  as  well 
as  the  day,  on  the  dreary  mountain-side,  or  amid  the 
chilly,  penetrating  mists  of  the  valleys.  The  drenching 
rains  and  the  howling  winds  became  their  familiar  com¬ 
panions.  Yet  these  good  men  were  contented  and  happy. 
In  their  souls  reigned  a  blessed  peace  of  conscience,  out 
of  which  grew  and  thrived  adoration  and  heroic  virtue. 

Thus,  Christian  reader,  were  the  first  adorers  of  Jesus 
Christ  fitted  and  prepared  :  bearing  a  pleasant  resem¬ 
blance  to  Him  and  His  Mother,  in  holy  simplicity  and 
contentment.  They  had  the  dispositions  of  children,  to 
whom  alone  is  promised  admission  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven. 

“  There  are  not  many  wise  according  to  the  flesh,  not 
many  mighty,  not  many  noble :  but  the  foolish  things 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 

“THE  MOTHER  OF  JESUS  SAITH  TO  HIM:  THEY  HAVE  NO 

MORE  WINE.” 


6’  ■ 


•  S  "J  1  ,  ; 

, 

' 


. 


' 


. 


. 


. 

: 


■ 


207 


7he  Shepherds  Called  to  the  Manger. 

of  the  world  hath  God  chosen,  that  He  may  confound  the 
wise :  and  the  weak  things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen, 
that  he  may  confound  the  strong:  and  the  base  things 
of  the  world,  and  the  things  that  are  contemptible,  hath 
God  chosen,  and  things  that  are  not,  that  He  might  bring 
to  naught  things  that  are  :  That  no  flesh  should  glory 
in  His  sight.”  (i  Cor.  i.  26-29.) 

GLORIA  IN  EXCELSIS. 

Hardly  had  the  angel  proclaimed  the  glad  tidings  to 
the  wondering  shepherds,  when  suddenly  a  great  multi¬ 
tude  of  celestial  spirits  appeared,  praising  God  and  say¬ 
ing  :  “  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace 
to  men  of  good-will.”  Christian  reader,  if  God  Himself 
stooped  down  to  meet  humanity,  why  should  not  the 
created  inhabitants  of  heaven  come  nearer  to  men.  As 
in  the  olden  time,  after  the  choice  of  a  ruler,  or  the 
enthroning  of  a  young  king,  heralds  hurried  over  the 
country  announcing  the  happy  event  and  lauding  the  new 
prince,  so  did  the  angels,  on  Christmas  morning,  announce 
from  on  high  the  tidings  of  joy  and  peace  to  all  men. 

To  God  alone  belongs  all  glory,  adoration,  praise,  and 
honor.  Because  men  in  their  blindness  did  not  advance 
the  glory  of  God,  the  Son  of  God  wished,  by  becoming 
man,  to  re-establish  this  glory  of  the  Father.  The  glory 
of  the  whole  work  of  Redemption  redounds  to  the  Lord, 
just  as  the  holy  Mother  of  God,  on  her  side,  ascribes  to 
the  Most  High  the  glory  of  her  privileges  and  graces. 
“  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord.”  The  peace  however 
is  bestowed  upon  man,  to  whom  it  belongs.  By  a  special 
dispensation  of  Providence,  a  universal  peace  prevailed 
throughout  the  world  when  Mary  brought  forth  the 
Prince  of  peace.  At  Rome  the  temple  of  Janus,  the  god 
of  war,  was  closed :  a  fitting  sign  of  the  dawning  of  a 


208  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

universal  peace  of  God  that  was  soon  to  gladden  the 
whole  earth,  and  to  consist  in  reconciliation  between  God 
and  man,  reconciliation  between  man  and  man,  recon¬ 
ciliation  of  every  man  with  himself. 

This  angelic  song,  therefore,  “  Gloria  in  Excelsis  Deo,” 
Glory  be  to  God  on  high,  is  a  canticle  sung  by  the  Catholic 
Church  in  praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the  glory  that  has 
accrued  to  God,  and  for  the  graces  of  peace  and  happi¬ 
ness  that  have  come  to  man  forevermore  through  the 
mystery  of  the  Incarnation.  The  centre  of  this  glorifica¬ 
tion  to  God  and  of  these  graces  to  men  is  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  of  the  Altar,  the  adorable  sacrifice  of  the  Mass, 
where  the  God-Man,  Our  Saviour,  is  ever  present,  offering 
Himself  for  us  to  the  eternal  Father.  When,  therefore, 
Christian  reader,  at  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  you 
hear  the  priest  of  the  most  high  God  intone  solemnly  the 
Gloria,  your  heart  should  respond  to  these  tidings  of  joy 
with  all  the  humble  belief  and  ardent  love  of  the  shepherds 
of  Bethlehem. 

Even  now,  Christian  reader,  repeat  devoutly  in  the 
spirit  of  the  Church  this  glorious  canticle  of  praise  with 
sentiments  of  joy  and  thankfulness,  as  well  for  the  incar¬ 
nation  of  Christ  in  the  stable  at  Bethlehem,  as  in  grati¬ 
tude  for  His  continued  living  presence  on  our  altars. 
In  union  with  the  blessed  angels  in  heaven  and  with  all 
Catholic  priests  in  the  world  say :  “  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good-will.  We 
praise  Thee,  we  bless  Thee,  we  adore  Thee,  we  glorify 
Thee.  We  give  Thee  thanks  for  Thy  great  glory,  Lord, 
God,  heavenly  King,  God  the  Father  Almighty.  Only  be¬ 
gotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  Lamb  of  God,  Son  of  the  Father, 
Thou  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  have  mercy 
on  us.  Thou  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  hear 
our  prayer.  Thou  who  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father,  have  mercy  on  us.  For  thou  alone  art  holy. 


The  Shepherds  Called  to  the  Manger.  209 

Thou  alone  art  Lord.  Thou  alone  art  the  Most  High, 
art  Jesus  Christ,  wifh  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father.”  Amen. 

THE  SHEPHERDS  AT  THE  MANGER. 

“  And  it  came  to  pass,  after  the  angels  departed  from 
them  into  heaven,  the  shepherds  said  to  one  another : 
Let  us  go  over  to  Bethlehem,  and  let  us  see  this  word 
that  is  come  to  pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  showed  to  us. 
And  they  came  with  haste  :  and  they  found  Mary  and 
Joseph,  and  the  Infant  lying  in  the  manger.  And  seeing, 
they  understood  of  the  word  that  had  been  spoken  to 
them  concerning  this  child.  And  all  that  heard  wondered  : 
and  at  those  things  that  were  told  them  by  the  shepherds. 
But  Mary  kept  all  these  words,  pondering  them  in  her 
heart.  And  the  shepherds  returned,  glorifying  and  prais¬ 
ing  God,  for  all  the  things  they  had  heard,  and  seen,  as 
it  was  told  unto  them.”  (Luke.  ii.  15-20.) 

Nothing  could  seem  more  improbable  than  the  truth 
contained  in  the  angel’s  message  :  that  the  Messias,  who, 
according  to  the  commonly  accepted  opinion  of  the  Jews, 
was  to  come  with  great  power  and  glory,  was  really  born 
in  a  stable,  and  lying  in  a  manger.  Yet  the  shepherds 
believed,  and  prepared  to  go  at  once  to  Bethlehem. 
Away  they  hastened,  deterred  by  nothing,  neither  the 
improbability  of  the  tidings,  nor  their  solicitude  for  their 
flocks.  Guided  by  the  angels,  they  entered  the  stable 
and  found  Mary !  Christian  reader,  these  poor  pious 
shepherds  are  not  simply  the  first  worshippers  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  they  are,  moreover,  the  first  venerators  of  the 
Mother  of  God.  But  yesterday  was  she  rudely  and  con¬ 
temptuously  turned  away  from  the  inhospitable  doors  of 
Bethlehem.  To-day,  inhabitants  of  the  same  town  offer 
her  the  expression  of  their  most  respectful  veneration. 

14 


210  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Stiffened. 

With  what  simple,  childlike  respect  these  shepherds 
must  have  saluted  the  Mother  of  their  Saviour  !  Mary, 
on  her  part,  rewarded  this  act  of  respect  by  presenting  to 
their  entranced  vision  her  divine  Child  for  their  adora¬ 
tion.  Presuming  that  a  Saviour  of  the  world,  born  in  a 
stable,  must  be  poor,  these  poor  men  had  thoughtfully 
brought  out  of  their  own  scanty  store  some  trifling  gifts 
for  His  acceptance. 

Mary  receives  these  hearty  offerings,  and  through  her 
will  they  be  presented  to  the  Saviour.  Here,  Christian 
reader,  you  may  discover  and  admire  the  sublime  position 
that  the  Blessed  Virgin  assumes  and  holds  in  all  ages 
with  regard  to  humanity.  Through  Mary  do  we  succeed 
in  reaching  Jesus  Christ.  Through  her  does  Jesus  give 
us  Himself  and  His  graces.  All  acts  of  sacrifice  and  of 
homage  are  most  pleasing  to  her  Son,  when  presented  by 
us  through  Mary. 

These  shepherds  were  also  the  first  apostles  of  Christ ; 
for  they  announced  His  miraculous  birth  and  the  super¬ 
natural  glory  of  His  Mother.  What  remorse  of  conscience 
must  have  troubled  the  inhabitants  of  Bethlehem,  when 
they  remembered  with  chagrin  the  unkind  treatment  they 
had  given  but  yesterday  to  this  wonderful  mother  of  a 
most  extraordinary  child  !  Happy  is  the  man  who  with 
a  clear,  guiltless  conscience  can  joyfully  receive  the  tid¬ 
ings  of  the  coming  of  a  just  God  ! 

MARY  PONDERS  THE  WORDS  IN  HER  OWN  HEART. 

“  But  Mary  kept  all  these  words,  pondering  them  in 
her  heart.”  (Luke  ii.  19.)  The  shepherds,  as  we  may 
easily  suppose,  related  to  the  blessed  Mother  the  mi¬ 
raculous  apparition  of  the  angels  and  the  words  spoken 
and  sung  by  them.  When  the  pious  men  had  left  the 
stable,  and  it  had  once  more  assumed  its  quiet  and  lonely 


The  Shepherds  Called  to  the  Manger,  2 1 1 

aspect  within  its  grotto  walls,  she  turned  over  and  over 
again  in  her  agitated  heart  all  that  she  had  seen  and 
heard,  and  compared  it  with  the  mysterious  favors  which 
she  herself  had  received  through  her  Son.  The  angels’ 
tidings  of  great  joy  reminded  her  very  forcibly  of  the 
message  which  the  great  archangel  had  delivered  to  her 
nine  months  before.  Joyfully,  yet  peacefully,  her  very 
heart  re-echoed,  over  and  over  again,  the  beautiful  song  of 
the  angels  :  “  Glory  be  to  God  on  high  and  on  earth  peace 
to  men  of  good  will.”  This  glory  for  God  and  this  peace 
for  men  was  entrusted  to  her  motherly  keeping.  Often 
and  often  did  she  offer  her  dear  child  up  to  the  Lord,  for 
His  greater  glory  and  for  man’s  increased  peace  and 
happiness.  Oh,  how  elevating  it  was  to  her  tender  mater¬ 
nal  heart  to  know,  in  all  her  poverty  and  desolation,  that 
heaven  itself  with  all  its  inhabitants  was  rejoicing  be¬ 
cause  of  this  poor  child  now  lying  helpless  in  the  manger  ! 
But  with  her  usual  reticence  she  prudently  kept  all  these 
words  in  her  heart.  She  did  not  talk  with  the  shepherds 
in  regard  to  the  mysteries  of  her  high  privilege.  In  her 
humility  she  kept  back  whatever  redounded  to  her  own 
glory. 

THE  ANGELS  AT  THE  BIRTH. 

To  every  Christian  mind  it  is  evident  that  there 
must  have  been  a  deep  meaning  in  the  joyousness  of  the 
holy  angels  at  the  birth  of  Christ.  To  be  sure,  at  the 
birth  of  every  child  the  angels  participate  in  the  rejoic¬ 
ing.  Christian  mother,  you  yourself  have  a  holy  guard¬ 
ian  angel  who  is  ever  near  you,  especially  in  the  hour  of 
need  and  sorrow.  In  such  times,  a  guardian  spirit,  sent 
from  God,  descends  from  the  heights  of  heaven  to  the 
very  cradle  in  which  your  infant  will  soon  be  laid.  Are 
not  your  own  and  your  child’s  angels  both  witnesses  of,  and 


212  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

sharers  in,  thy  maternal  happiness  ?  Do  they  not  join  you 
in  singing  the  praises  of  the  Creator  of  this  fresh  young 
soul  ?  Is  it  not  a  quieting  and  comforting  thought  to 
your  tender,  anxious,  maternal  solicitude,  that  besides  the 
eye  of  God,  the  eye  of  such  an  angel  watches  over  your 
darling  ?  But,  also,  Christian  mother,  is  it  not  your  sacred 
duty  often  to  thank  this  guardian  spirit  from  heaven, 
most  fervently,  and  in  your  own  and  your  child’s  name, 
for  his  loving  and  powerful  care  and  protection  ?  Is  it 
not  your  duty  to  call  your  child’s  attention  to  this  sacred 
guardianship,  to  teach  it  to  love  and  revere  its  holy  guard¬ 
ian  angel,  and  to  regard  him  as  the  untiring,  heavenly,  and 
pure  witness  of  all  its  thoughts,  words,  and  works? 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

MARY  AND  JOSEPH  HAVE  THE  CHILD  CIRCUMCISED 

AND  NAMED  JESUS. 

mary’s  maternal  solicitude. 

THE  eleventh  verse  of  the  second  chapter  of  St.  Mat¬ 
thew’s  Gospel  seems  to  indicate'that  the  Holy  Family, 
within  a  few  days  after  the  birth  of  Christ,  removed  from 
the  grotto  in  the  rocks  and  took  up  their  abode  in  a  more 
fitting  dwelling.  The  Evangelist  speaks  of  the  three  Wise 
Men  as  “  entering  into  the  house.”  Nevertheless,  it  is 
the  united  opinion  of  by  far  the  greater  number  of  the 
Church  Fathers  and  other  writers  of  the  earliest  cen¬ 
turies,  that  the  stable  already  selected  by  Providence  as 
the  birthplace  of  Jesus  continued  for  some  time  longer 
to  be  the  home  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph,  and  that 
several  important  events  transpired  beneath  its  humble 
roof  before  they  left  it.  It  is  likely,  too,  that  the  kindly 


The  Child  Circumcised  and  Named  Jesus.  213 

shepherds  and  other  friendly  neighbors  from  Bethlehem 
had  meanwhile  rendered  the  place  more  habitable. 

No  mother  on  earth,  however  tender  in  feeling,  can  de¬ 
scribe  the  love,  attention,  respect,  and  veneration  which  the 
blessed  virgin  Mother  lavished  upon  her  beloved  child 
from  the  day  of  His  birth.  For  if  every  ordinary  mother 
tends  her  child  with  affection  and  pleasure,  how  must  the 
tenderest  of  all  mothers  have  cared  for  her  child,  who  was 
also  her  God  and  her  Creator.  Besides,  her  Son  was  the 
fairest,  comeliest,  most  perfect  in  body,  mind,  and  soul  of 
all  the  children  of  men.  Most  assuredly,  Christian  reader, 
those  days  of  tranquil  and  retired  domestic  life  in  the 
poor  stable  were  for  Mary  days  full  of  joyous  care  and 
employment.  But,  alas,  how  rapidly  they  have  flown  by ! 
How  soon  were  pains,  tears,  and  even  blood,  to  lend  to 
this  abode  of  motherly  joys  a  still  more  sacred  character  ! 

OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LORD. 

“  And  after  eight  days  were  accomplished  that  the 
Child  should  be  circumcised,  His  name  was  called  Jesus, 
which  was  called  by  the  angel,  before  He  was  conceived 
in  the  womb.”  (Luke  ii.  21.) 

Circumcision  was  a  religious  ordinance  instituted  by  God 
Himself,  by  virtue  of  which  each  Israelite  was  incorporated 
into  the  community  of  God’s  people,  and  made  admissible 
to  the  enjoyment  of  all  his  individual  rights  and  privileges. 
The  process  of  admission  into  the  holy  covenant  was  at¬ 
tended  with  much  pain,  for  a  wound  was  inflicted  upon  the 
person  admitted,  as  a  sign  of  reconciliation  and  satisfac¬ 
tion.  The  troubled  Mother  of  Jesus  knew  well  that  her 
child,  being  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  was  not  amenable 
to  any  law,  especially  the  Jewish  ;  and  least  of  all  to  a  law 
bearing  an  atoning  or  purifying  character.  And  oh,  how 
gladly  would  this  tender  Virgin  have  had  her  divine  Child 


214  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

exempted  and  spared  from  this  painful  and  humiliating 
process  of  circumcision  !  But  nothing  short  of  a  special 
message  from  heaven  would  have  induced  her  to  shirk 
the  sacrifice  for  herself  and  Him.  The  Redeemer  of  man¬ 
kind  wished  to  subject  Himself  to  the  law,  “  that  He  might 
redeem  them  who  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  re¬ 
ceive  the  adoption  of  sons,”  as  St.  Paul  tells  us  in  the 
fourth  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Galatians.  Usually 
five  special  reasons  are  alleged  to  explain  why  the  sinless 
Son  of  the  sinless  Virgin  was  pleased  to  comply  with  this 
ordinance.  First,  in  order  to  prove  His  true  humanity, 
and  thus  defeat  future  heresies  on  this  point,  especially 
that  of  the  Manichees,  who  denied  that  Christ  was  man  ; 
secondly,  in  order  to  sanction  this  divinely  appointed 
Jewish  rite  ;  thirdly,  in  order  to  establish  his  legitimate 
descent  from  Abraham  ;  fourthly,  in  order  to  escape  the 
usual  reproach  of  the  Jews,  that  He  was  uncircumcised, 
which  was  a  great  disgrace  in  their  estimation  ;  fifthly, 
out  of  humble  obedience  to  the  Mosaic  law. 

The  blessed  Mother  foresaw  in  spirit  the  eternal  de¬ 
cree  ordering,  or  at  least  permitting,  the  countless  series  of 
pains  and  afflictions  that  was  to  begin  with  the  pain  of 
circumcision.  By  anticipation  she  already  felt  his  pains, 
united  herself  therewith,  and  bravely  repeated  her  res¬ 
olute  fiat,  “  Be  it  done.” 

She,  who  at  a  later  day  will  have  the  courage  to  stand 
undaunted  beneath  the  bloody  cross  of  her  dying  Son, 
has  now  the  strength  to  offer  that  same  Son  to  the  knife 
of  circumcision,  out  of  love  for  God,  in  satisfaction  for 
our  sins,  and  in  obedience  to  the  holy  law.  No  sooner  is 
the  first  drop  of  sacred  blood  shed,  than,  in  union  with  the 
heavenly  spirits  that  are  hovering  near,  she  adores  it  in 
humble  reverence.  Christian  reader,  this  first  single  drop 
of  the  most  precious  blood  of  the  Infant  Jesus  would 
have  sufficed  to  redeem  you,  to  redeem  a  thousand 


The  Child  Circumcised  and  Named  Jesus.  215 

worlds.  But  your  Saviour  wished  to  pour  out  on  the  tree 
of  the  cross  His  last  drop  of  blood  for  you.  Your  good 
Mother  was  witness  to  and  sympathizing  participator  in  the 
shedding  of  the  first  and  last  drop  of  your  Saviour’s 
redeeming  blood. 

THE  HOLY  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

This  is  not  the  place,  Christian  reader,  to  speak  of  the 
holiness,  sweetness,  and  omnipotence  of  that  holy  name  of 
Jesus  which,  on  this  painful  occasion,  Our  Saviour  received, 
to  the  joy  and  happiness  of  the  whole  world.  Neither  will 
it  be  necessary,  Christian  reader,  to  exhort  you  to  a  con¬ 
fiding  love  for  that  name,  or  to  reverential  devotion  and 
recourse  to  it.  I  will  mention  here  but  two  circumstances 
that  have  a  special  bearing  on  our  dear  Mother  Mary. 
In  the  first,  she  it  was  who  bestowed  this  name  on 
Our  Saviour  ;  secondly,  she  is  for  us  the  most  sublime 
example  and  model,  in  revering  and  calling  upon  that 
name. 

Did  not  the  holy  Archangel  Gabriel,  on  Annunciation 
Day,  declare  it  to  be  the  will  of  God  that  “  you  shall 
call  His  name  Jesus.”  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  then,  that 
she  who  gave  us  the  Redeemer  would  also  give  us  the 
name  in  which  alone  we  can  be  saved  ?  With  what  de¬ 
light,  with  what  ecstatic  love  of  an  ardent  mother,  with 
what  deep  reverence  of  a  saint,  did  she  pronounce  the 
holy  name  !  What  sweetness,  what  fortitude,  what  holy 
joy  she  experienced  each  time  in  her  heart !  Christian 
reader,  do  not  neglect  to  invoke  now,  and  for  all  time,  the 
most  holy  names  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph.  Invoke 
them  in  every  necessity,  in  every  danger,  in  every  tempta¬ 
tion.  Place  the  years  of  your  life,  but  more  especially 
your  death-hour,  under  the  protection  of  these  saving 
names. 


2i  6  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a7id  Suffered. 

NEW  YEARS  IN  THE  NAMES  OF  JESUS  AND  MARY. 

The  commemoration  of  this  painful  incident  of  the  cir¬ 
cumcision  and  of  the  joyful  bestowal  of  the  loving  and 
lovable  and  gracious  name  falls,  according  to  our  reck¬ 
oning,  on  the  first  day  of  January,  and,  consequently, 
corresponds  every  year  with  the  celebration  of  New  Year’s 
Day. 

Certainly,  in  the  meaning  of  this  festival  may  be  dis¬ 
covered  a  beautiful  figure  of  the  various  events  in  our 
life,  both  pleasant  and  painful,  which  the  incoming  year 
brings  to  each  one  of  us.  It  is  also  a  good  omen  that 
we,  animated  by  the  spirit  of  the  Church,  begin  this  im- 
portantyearly  division  of  time  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  But, 
Christian  reader,  as  you  have  just  considered,  the  Blessed 
Virgin  had  a  highly  important  share  in  the  pains  and 
graces  attending  the  circumcision  of  Jesus.  We  therefore 
commemorate  also  on  the  first  of  January  not  only  a  feast 
of  Our  Lord,  but  at  the  same  time  a  festival  of  the  blessed 
Mother  of  God.  It  may  also  afford  you  greater  joy 
and  greater  comfort  to  celebrate  the  New  Year,  not  only 
in  the  name  of  Jesus,  but  at  the  same  time  in  the  name  and 
under  the  protection  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  Neglect 
not  to  place  yourself  and  all  interests  under  the  gracious 
protection  of  Mary.  For  this  purpose  you  may  make 
use  of  the  following  prayer  : 

O  ever-blessed  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  my  God  and 
Saviour !  although  I  am  altogether  unworthy  to  be  thy 
child  or  servant,  I  nevertheless  choose  thee  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  my  guardian  angel  and  of  the  whole  heavenly  court, 
now  at  the  beginning  of  the  New  Year,  for  my  patroness, 
my  intercessor,  and  my  mother.  I  promise  that  during 
this  year  I  shall  love  thee  more  and  more,  serve  thee 
more  and  more  faithfully,  and  do  my  utmost  that  others, 
too,  may  love  and  serve  thee.  In  honor  of  the  precious 


The  Wise  Men  are  Summoned  to  the  Manger.  217 

blood  shed  for  my  sake  by  thy  divine  Son,  I  beseech  thee, 
O  Holy  Mother  of  God,  that  thou  wouldst  count  me  in  the 
list  of  thy  special  servants  and  votaries,  and  adopt  me  as 
thy  perpetual  favorite  child. 

Merciful  and  amiable  Mother,  inclose  me  in  thy  mater¬ 
nal  heart,  have  at  all  times  a  vigilant  watch  over  me,  as 
I,  on  my  part,  shall  endeavor  to  cherish  for  thee  a  child¬ 
like  love  and  reverence.  Never  withdraw  from  me  thy 
help,  as  I  hope  never  to  withdraw  my  trust  from  thee. 

I  offer  beforehand,  and  in  anticipation,  all  my  thoughts, 
words,  actions,  sorrows,  trials,  and  afflictions,  during  the 
year,  to  thy  immaculate  heart.  I  also  beseech  thee  most 
earnestly  that  thou  wouldst  enrich  these  with  thy  merits, 
and  thus  bring  them  and  all  else  that  I  am  worth  to  the 
ever-adorable  Trinity.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  THREE  WISE  MEN  ARE  SUMMONED  MIRACU¬ 
LOUSLY  TO  THE  MANGER. 


THE  STAR, 


ERY  much  as  the  shepherds  were  summoned  from 


V  the  plains  of  Bethlehem,  by  an  angel,  to  the  manger, 
there  not  only  to  adore  the  new-born  God  and  Saviour, 
but  also  to  honor  His  Mother,  and  through  her  hands  to 
offer  their  gifts,  and  through  her  hands,  too,  to  obtain  His 
blessing,  so  do  now  wealthy  and  powerful  Kings  come 
from  distant  Eastern  lands  to  do  homage  to  the  new-born 
King  of  the  Jews,  and  to  venerate  His  royal  Mother. 

There  dwelt  in  Arabia,  at  that  time,  certain  wealthy 
priest-kings  who  with  great  success  devoted  themselves, 
their  time,  and  their  talent  to  the  study  of  the  heavenly 


218  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered \ 

bodies.  Their  souls  teemed  with  earnest  and  sincere 
desire  for  the  coming  of  a  Redeemer  from  heaven,  con* 
cerning  whose  advent  there  was  an  indefinite  knowledge 
derived  from  the  traditions  of  the  heathen  nations. 

As,  on  Christmas  night,  these  learned  royal  priests 
were  watching  and  studying,  in  patient  loneliness  on  the 
confines  of  the  Arabian  desert,  the  wonders  of  the  starry 
heavens,  they  discovered  a  bright  peculiar  star,  never 
before  observed  by  any  astronomer.  At  the  same  time 
an  inward  voice  prompted  them,  saying,  that  this  must 
be  the  long-expected  sign  of  the  great  Ruler  in  Judea, 
and  that  He  must  be  at  last  born  into  the  world.  The 
more  brightly  the  light  from  this  star  shone  upon  their 
vision  the  more  clearly  did  the  light  of  divine  revela¬ 
tion  penetrate  their  hearts,  and  awaken  in  their  souls  the 
fire  of  faith.  Animated  with  such  faith,  three  of  these 
men  bravely  issued  to  their  numerous  attendants  orders 
to  prepare  for  a  journey.  Sympathizing  with  the  eager 
haste  of  their  royal  riders,  the  very  camels  sped  hastily 
over  the  sandy  highways.  Before  them  moved  steadily  in 
its  course,  the  strange  star,  guiding  them,  as  did  the 
pillar  of  cloud  guide  the  flying  Israelites  through  the 
desert  and  over  the  Red  Sea,  when  escaping  from  the 
bondage  of  Egypt.  This  star  was  not  governed  by  the 
laws  that  govern  the  other  heavenly  bodies.  High  in 
heaven,  away  it  sailed  towards  the  West,  keeping  ahead  of 
the  caravan.  Now  it  stood  still  over  the  spot  where  the 
travellers  encamped  for  the  night,  seeming  as  it  were 
suspended  in  the  moving  clouds.  In  the  morning  it  ad¬ 
vanced  again  towards  Jerusalem.  At  last,  after  a  hurried 
and  wearisome  journey  of  twelve  days,  the  Magi  descried 
from  the  barren  and  wild  hills  of  Judea  in  the  distance 
the  glistening  towers  and  gleaming  roofs  of  the  Holy  City. 
As  they  passed  through  the  stately  gate  of  the  proud 
metropolis,  they  wondered  exceedingly  to  find  the  place 


The  Wise  Men  are  Summoned  to  the  Manger .  219 

wearing  its  usual  air  of  every  day  business-life.  Gloomy, 
silent,  joyless,  inhospitable,  instead  of  bristling  with  the 
signs  of  rejoicing  at  the  birth  of  a  new  Prince.  Their 
perplexity  was  increased  by  the  sudden  disappearance 
from  sight  of  their  hitherto  faithful  companion,  the  star. 
Yet  their  heaven-inspired  zeal  did  not  grow  faint.  But 
where  were  they  to  look  for  the  King’s  Son,  if  not  in 
the  King’s  city  ?  They  proceeded,  therefore,  through  the 
spacious  streets,  till  they  came  to  the  royal  residence  of 
King  Herod.  The  people  of  the  city  looked  out  of  their 
windows  at  this  novel  sight,  wondering  innocently  what  it 
could  be  ;  or  they  followed  the  procession  from  street 
to  street,  discussing  the  meaning  and  object  of  a  display, 
the  like  of  which  had  not  been  seen  in  their  city  within 
the  recollection  of  their  oldest  inhabitant,  and  more  es¬ 
pecially  since  the  universally  despised  and  detested 
Herod  had  ascended  the  throne.  How  humiliating  and 
discreditable  for  a  people  whose  whole  history  was  but 
one  continued  preparation  for  the  Messias,  that  foreigners, 
and  pagans  at  that,  should  be  the  first  to  bring  to  the 
“  Chosen  People  ”  the  tidings  announcing  the  actual  birth 
of  their  great  King  and  Saviour. 

THE  WISE  MEN  BEFORE  HEROD. 

Herod  received  his  distinguished  guests  with  hypocrit¬ 
ical  signs  of  friendship,  but  was  at  once  overwhelmed  with 
astonishment  and  dread  at  their  direct  inquiry  :  “  Where  is 
He  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews  ?  For  we  have  seen 
His  star  in  the  East  and  are  come  to  adore  Him.”  (Matt, 
ii.  2.)  On  hearing  these  words,  Herod  had  good  reason  to 
be  alarmed.  For  he  himself  was  but  a  usurper,  owing 
his  very  life  to  the  presence  of  Roman  soldiers.  Both  him¬ 
self  and  his  foreign  defenders  were  detested  most  cordially 
by  the  conquered  Jews,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  only  for 


220  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered, 

want  of  opportunity  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  did 
not  rise  in  rebellion  against  him.  Now  he  feared  this 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  discontented  people.  These, 
too,  on  their  part,  especially  the  better  portion,  were 
alarmed,  for  they  feared  the  well-known  violence  and 
cruelty  of  their  foreign  ruler,  and  dreaded  a  cruel  and  vin¬ 
dictive  war.  How  remarkable,  Christian  reader  !  to  the 
pious  shepherds,  the  angels  announced  the  birth  of  Christ 
as  a  great  joy ;  to  Herod  and  his  court  and  others  it  be¬ 
comes  a  terror.  But  what  anxiety  and  terror  of  soul  will 
the  second  coming  of  the  Son  of  God  produce  among  all 
such  Herod-like  sinners,  when  the  eternal  Judge  will 
come  with  great  power  and  majesty  to  judge  the  living 
and  the  dead  ! 

Herod  was  unable  of  himself  to  answer  the  question  put 
by  the  three  kings  ;  he  therefore  assembled  the  chief 
priests,  the  scribes,  and  other  learned  men,  and  inquired 
of  them  where  Christ  was  to  be  born. 

The  law-interpreters  unfolded  the  manuscript  books, 
sought  out  the  well-known  place  in  the  prophecies  of 
Micheas,  and  answered  the  impatient  and  troubled  Herod  : 
“  In  Bethlehem  shall  the  Anointed  of  the  Lord  be  born, 
for  so  it  stands  written  in  the  prophecy  of  Micheas  ”  i 
tl  And  thou  Bethlehem  art  a  little  one  among  the  thou¬ 
sands  of  Juda,  out  of  thee  shall  He  come  forth  that  is  to 
be  the  ruler  in  Israel.”  (Mich.  v.  2.)  The  Scriptural 
scholars  understood  how  to  point  out  to  others  the  way  to 
salvation,  but  they  followed  it  not  themselves,  preferring 
to  remain  where  and  what  they  are,  in  their  cold,  proud 
unbelief. 

Herod  then,  anxious  and  suspicious,  calls  the  three 
kings  to  his  presence,  inquires  carefully  about  the  mys¬ 
terious  star,  more  especially  about  the  exact  time  of  its 
appearance  ;  for  he  presumed  and  reasoned  that  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  this  star  must  have  been  contemporary  with 


The  Wise  Men  are  Suminoned  to  the  Manger .  221 

the  birth  of  this  new  King.  Having  thus  obtained  and 
treasured  up  all  possible  information,  he  dismissed  the 
pious  princes  on  their  way  to  Bethlehem,  begging  them, 
with  hypocritical  zeal,  to  search  diligently  after  the  Child, 
and  on  their  return  to  bring  up  the  necessary  information, 
in  order  that  he,  too,  might  then  go  to  pay  his  respects. 
He  also  gave  orders  that  messengers  or  guides  should  at« 
tend  them,  in  order  to  avert  the  suspicion  of  the  Wise  Men 
and  to  make  their  return  more  certain. 

Unsuspecting  and  trusting  in  God,  the  three  pious 
kings  again  set  out  on  their  journey  towards  the  royal 
“  City  of  David,”  which  lay  about  two  leagues  distant 
from  Jerusalem.  No  sooner  had  they  passed  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem,  than  a  great  joy  came  upon  their  noble  souls  ; 
for  the  star  that  had  been  their  faithful  companion  from 
the  time  of  their  leaving  home  till  it  disappeared  when 
they  entered  Jerusalem,  now  came  forth  from  its  cloudy 
eclipse.  Its  welcome  light  seemed  to  infuse  into  their 
hearts  a  renewed  zeal  and  unbounded  reverence  for  the 
new-born  King ;  for,  as  they  themselves  reasoned,  He  in¬ 
deed  must  be  the  Son  of  God,  rather  than  a  mere  man,  to 
have  been  announced  in  this  miraculous  way. 

ADORATION  AND  OFFERINGS. 

In  high  expectation  and  with  beating  hearts  they  en¬ 
tered  Bethlehem,  where  the  star  stood  still  over  the  poor 
dwelling  of  the  Holy  Family.  Not  at  all  disappointed, 
though  very  much  astonished  at  the  poverty  of  the  place, 
they  entered  and  found  the  child  with  Mary  His  Mother. 
Christian  reader,  what  a  remarkable  scene !  The  colder, 
poorer,  more  miserable  the  stable  was,  the  more  majestic, 
elegant,  and  beautiful  appeared  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  be. 
There  she  stood  glowing  in  beauty  and  virginal  modesty, 
pressing  to  her  bosom,  with  maternal  pride  and  happiness, 


222  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

the  Creator  and  Redeemer  of  the  world.  Completely 
overcome  at  the  sight  of  this  indescribable  scene,  the 
three  kings  bowed  profoundly  to  the  earth  before  the 
Mother  of  the  heavenly  King,  and  then  threw  themselves 
on  their  knees,  in  order  to  adore  the  Son  of  the  poor  Vir¬ 
gin.  In  order,  too,  to  add  to  this  worship  of  the  spirit,  a 
corresponding  outward  and  substantial  mark  of  their  sin¬ 
cerity,  they  presented  the  gifts  that  they  had  brought  from 
their  own  land.  These  were  not  unsuitable  for  the  Sav¬ 
iour  of  the  world,  for  they  consisted  of  gold,  frankincense, 
and  myrrh.  These  significant  and  typical  gifts  they  laid 
reverently  at  the  feet  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  who  received 
them  with  humble  thanks  and  laid  them  aside.  These 
were  not  gifts  without  meaning,  for  the  Church  Fathers 
interpret  the  gold  as  signifying  the  kingly  dignity;  the 
frankincense  meaning  the  divinity,  and  the  myrrh  signify¬ 
ing  the  humanity  of  Christ. 

Significant  gifts,  for  the  gold  signifies  the  charity,  the 
incense  signifies  prayer,  and  the  myrrh  signifies  patience 
in  suffering.  Thus  was  fulfilled  all  that  Christ’s  ancestor, 
the  Royal  Psalmist,  King  David,  had  foretold :  “  Before 
Him  the  Ethiopians  shall  fall  down.  .  .  .  The  kings  of 
Tharsis  and  the  islands  shall  offer  presents,  the  kings  of 
the  Arabians  and  of  Saba  shall  bring  gifts.  And  all  kings 
of  the  earth  shall  adore  Him  :  all  nations  shall  serve  Him. 
.  .  .  And  He  shall  live,  and  to  Him  shall  be  given  of  the 
gold  of  Arabia,  for  Him  they  shall  always  adore.  (Ps. 
Ixxi.  9-15.) 

With  what  intense  gratification  was  Mary’s  motherly 
heart  filled,  to  see  herself  so  highly  honored  and  her  Son 
worshipped  and  adored.  How  clearly  she  now  perceived 
that  the  Saviour  was  sent  not  only  to  the  lost  sheep  of 
Israel,  but  also  to  the  Gentiles. 

I,  too,  most  loving  Mother,  rejoice  at  the  honor  that 
was  bestowed  upon  thee  by  the  Wise  Men  from  the  East. 


The  Wise  Men  are  Summo?ied  to  the  Manger.  223 

I  congratulate  thee  on  the  great  consolation  that  thou 
didst  experience  in  witnessing  the  adoration  and  homage 
which  thy  beloved  Child  received  from  these  great  men. 

In  company  of  these  pious  Magi,  I  fall  down  in  humility 
before  thee,  I  salute  thee  reverently  as  the  Mother  of  my 
God.  I  implore  thy  Child  that  thy  holy  hands  may  be 
stretched  out  lovingly  towards  me.  Oh,  I  believe  that 
beloved  Child  of  thine  is  the  almighty  King  of  eternal 
life  !  But  as  I  am  not  able  in  my  poverty  to  bring  the 
princely  gifts  of  gold,  incense,  and  myrrh,  I  beseech  thee, 
O  holy  virgin  Mother,  to  accept  all  that  I  have,  and  all 
that  I  am.  Accept,  instead  of  gold,  all  the  love  of  my 
heart ;  instead  of  incense,  accept  the  faculties  of  my  soul ; 
instead  of  myrrh,  accept  my  poverty  and  trials.  Dearest 
Mother,  accept  these  small  offerings  in  thy  own  virginal 
hands,  and  offer  them  with  fervid  love  to  thy  dear  Son. 
Whatever  is  wanting  in  me  of  devotion  and  fervor,  do 
thou  deign  to  supply  by  adding  thine  own. 

THE  RETURN  TO  THE  EAST. 

The  happy  and  highly  privileged  three  kings,  having 
succeeded  in  obtaining  the  sacred  object  of  their  desires, 
decided  to  rest  a  few  days  in  Bethlehem  after  their  long 
and  wearisome  journey.  During  these  happy  days,  it 
became  their  chief  and  only  pleasure  to  repair  as  often 
as  possible  to  the  grotto  or  stable,  in  order  to  renew  their 
salutations  to  the  Infant  Jesus,  and  to  hold  edifying  and 
useful  conversation  with  His  blessed  Mother  concerning 
the  wonderful  truths  and  admirable  works  and  dispensa¬ 
tions  of  God.  Would  it  not,  dear  Christian  reader,  be 
your  wish,  would  you  not  be  most  happy,  to  have  taken 
part  in  these  visits  of  the  Wise  Men  to  Jesus  and  Mary  ? 
But  you  are  not  unacquainted  with  the  beautiful  Catholic 
devotion  termed  “Visits  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament.” 


224  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

Yes,  Christian  reader,  in  the  tabernacle  of  your  parish 
church  you  may  find  the  same  Saviour.  The  perpetual 
light  burning  with  its  quiet  glimmer  before  the  altar 
represents  the  star  that  guided  the  three  Wise  Men. 
Here  you  may  visit  Him  as  often  and  as  intimately 
as  you  wish.  Here  you  may  speak  to  Him  in  childlike 
confidence,  as  if  face  to  face.  Here  will  your  soul  be 
penetrated  with  tranquil  bliss,  here  you  may  forget  the 
world  and  all  the  struggles  of  the  world.  Not  far  from 
this  altar  stands  another,  the  shrine  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
adorned  with  her  familiar  and  comforting  image.  She 
will  receive  you  and  hear  your  petitions  and  present 
them  at  the  feet  of  her  glorified  Son  in  heaven  if  you 
come  to  her  in  humility  with  fervent  and  persevering 
prayer. 

After  several  days  passed  in  pious  attention  to  the 
object  of  their  visit,  the  three  Wise  Men  resolved  to  return 
home.  In  compliance  with  their  promise  to  Herod,  they 
intended  to  pass  through  Jerusalem  in  order  to  bring  to 
the  king  intelligence  concerning  the  Wonder-Child,  and 
to  tell  of  their  own  unspeakable  happiness  in  finding  Him. 
But,  during  the  night  before  their  departure,  an  angel  ap- 
peard  to  them  in  their  sleep,  warning  them  not  to  call  at 
Jerusalem,  but  to  return  to  their  own  country  by  another 
route.  The  three  kings  believed  and  obeyed  the  angel 
without  any  hesitancy  as  they  had  on  their  way  from 
home  obeyed  and  followed  the  miraculous  star.  They 
arose  early  next  morning,  set  out,  and  after  a  wearisome 
and  dangerous  journey  reached  their  homes  in  safety. 
They  did  not  neglect  to  relate  and  extol  to  their  friends 
and  subjects  the  miracles  of  grace  and  mercy  that  had 
been  wrought  in  their  favor. 

Christian  reader,  imitate  the  obedience  of  these  three 
holy  men.  When  you,  in  holy  confession,  have  been 
undergoing  reconciliation  with  God,  how  often  and  how 


The  Purification — Candlemas. 


225 


clearly  has  an  angel’s  voice  spoken  to  your  conscience,  how 
earnestly  your  confession  has  spoken  to  your  soul  ?  both 
voices  warning  you  not  to  return  to  Herod,  that  is  to  say, 
to  shun  every  person,  to  avoid  every  place,  to  banish  every 
occasion,  dangerous  to  your  soul  and  conducive  to  your 
destruction.  Have  you  always  heeded  these  warnings? 
Arise,  Christian  reader,  in  this  very  hour  lay  before  your 
God  and  before  your  virginal  Mother  Mary  the  solemn 
promise  to  break  such  ties,  and  to  pursue  your  way 
steadily,  the  way  of  penance  and  perseverance  in  virtue, 
till  you  reach  your  eternal  home  in  heaven,  where  for  all 
eternity  you  may  praise  the  mercies  of  God.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  PURIFICATION— CANDLEMAS. 

THE  FIRST-BORN. 

INSTEAD  of  the  three  kings,  who  might  have  revealed 
to  Herod  the  dwelling-place  of  the  new-born  Won¬ 
der-King,  came  now  Jesus  Himself  to  Jerusalem,  borne  in 
the  arms  of  His  Mother.  According  to  the  law  of  Moses 
(Lev.  xii.  2-8  ;  Ex.  xiii.  2)  every  Jewish  mother  was 
obliged,  forty  days  after  the  birth  of  a  son,  to  present  her¬ 
self  in  the  Temple,  in  order,  with  prayer  and  sacrifice,  to 
obtain  the  legal  purification.  The  offerings  consisted  of 
a  lamb  one  year  old,  and  a  pigeon  or  turtle-dove  in  atone¬ 
ment  for  sin.  If  the  parents  were  too  poor  to  offer  a 
lamb,  two  turtle-doves  were  enough  to  satisfy  the  law. 
If,  however,  the  child  was  a  first-born  son,  it  was  dedicated 
in  a  special  manner  to  the  Lord.  For  this  purpose  it  was 
brought  to  the  Temple,  offered  to  the  Most  High,  and  then 
ransomed  by  the  payment  of  five  pieces  of  silver,  unless 
*5 


226  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

the  child  did  not  belong  to  the  tribe  of  Levi.  This  rite 
had  been  instituted  by  the  Lord,  in  order  to  perpetuate 
the  remembrance  of  that  awful  night  just  preceding  the 
departure  out  of  Egypt,  when  the  destroying  angel  put  to 
death  all  the  first-born  of  the  Egyptians,  but  spared  all 
the  first-born  of  Israel. 

As  in  a  previous  case,  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  not  com¬ 
pelled  by  law  to  subject  her  child  to  the  rite  of  circum¬ 
cision,  yet  did  so  out  of  docile  obedience  to  that  religious 
requirement ;  so,  too,  was  she  by  no  means  required  to  pre¬ 
sent  herself  for  legal  purification  in  the  Temple.  She  was 
purer  than  the  snows  on  Mount  Libanus  ;  and  her  purity, 
instead  of  being  tarnished,  was  preserved  and  even  made 
brighter  and  more  exalted  by  her  own  immaculate  con¬ 
ception  and  by  the  birth  of  the  Most  Holy  One.  There 
was  still  another  important  circumstance  that  would  seem 
to  excuse  her  from  compliance  with  this  law,  at  least  for 
the  present  time.  Had  she  not  cause  to  fear  that  Herod 
would  discover  her  child,  and,  in  his  jealous  resentment, 
seek  His  very  life?  Now  she  must  necessarily  bring 
her  child  in  close  and  dangerous  proximity  to  the  tyrant. 
Her  motherly  heart  shuddered  at  the  very  thought.  Yet 
in  this  instance,  as  in  all  others,  she  remained  steadfast 
to  her  principle.  If  God  do  not  direct  otherwise,  I  follow 
the  customs  and  laws  of  my  country ;  for  the  all-wise 
God  will  take  care  of  me. 

THE  OFFERING  AND  THE  PRIESTESS. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning  of  February  2d  when  Mary 
and  Joseph  slowly  descended  the  hill  on  which  Bethlehem 
stood,  and  turned  their  steps  in  the  direction  of  Jerusalem. 
Each  carried  an  offering.  The  mother  carried  her  divine 
Son.  St.  Joseph  a  pair  of  turtle-doves.  In  due  time 
the  lofty  towers  and  gleaming  roofs  of  the  Holy  City  are 


The  Purification — Ca7idlemas.  227 

perceived.  The  white  pinnacles  of  the  temples  seem  to 
shine  forth  a  welcome  to  the  Lord  of  the  Temple  who  in 
the  feeble  and  humble  form  of  an  infant  on  His  Mother’s 
breast  comes  to  take  possession  of  His  sanctuary.  In  the 
courts  of  this  same  Temple  Mary  had  passed  twelve  happy 
years.  Here  she  had  made  her  vow  of  perpetual  virgin¬ 
ity,  and  now  she  comes  a  mother  and  yet  a  virgin — a 
virginal  Mother  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Timidly,  gently,  yet  surrounded  by  choirs  of  invisible 
angels,  the  holy  Mother,  side  by  side  with  her  protecting 
spouse,  St.  Joseph,  entered  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and 
passed  near  Herod’s  palace.  They  passed  up  the  steps 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  Temple,  and  went  in  by  door 
“  for  the  first-born,”  to  the  inner  court  before  the  gates 
of  the  “  Tabernacle  of  Manifestation,”  where  the  purifi¬ 
cation  was  usually  administered.  Near  the  eastern  en¬ 
trance  to  the  Temple,  or  Nikanor’s  gate,  she  took  her 
stand,  and  soon,  as  a  mother  in  Israel,  was  sprinkled  with 
blood  by  the  duly  authorized  priest.  Then  with  timid 
meekness  she  presented  her  humble  offering,  consisting 
of  two  turtle-doves.  Here  also  took  place  the  presenta¬ 
tion  of  the  Child  Jesus.  He  was  held  up  between  two 
lighted  tapers,  and  thus  figuratively  was  offered  as  a 
“  burnt  offering.”  It  was  in  allusion  to  this  ceremony  of 
burning  lights  that  the  venerable  Simeon  called  the  Sav¬ 
iour  “  a  light  for  the  enlightenment  of  the  Gentiles.” 
Hence,  too,  is  derived  the  word  “  candlemas,”  by  which 
the  Feast  of  the  Purification  is  often  designated. 

Christian  reader,  what  an  oblation,  and  what  a  priestess  ! 
When  the  second  temple  was  built,  the  elders  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  raised  their  hands  and  their  voices  and  wept  because 
its  splendor,  great  as  it  was,  was  not  equal  to  the  splen¬ 
dor  of  the  old  temple.  But  that  old  temple  never  wit¬ 
nessed  such  a  day  as  this,  that  had  dawned  now  on  this  tem¬ 
ple  built  by  Herod.  Never  had  its  stately  walls  witnessed 


228  How  the  Blessed  Virgm  Lived  and  Suffered. 

a  victim  so  perfect,  so  pleasing  to  the  eternal  Father. 
Never  had  it  such  a  high-priest,  as  it  has  to-day  a  priestess, 
now  that  Mary  stands  beneath  its  roof  and  offers  up  her 
precious  oblation,  with  pure  and  immaculate  hands.  Very 
truthfully  the  illustrious  Bishop  Bossuet  says  of  this 
event:  “If  the  Jews  understood,  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
what  they  outwardly  solemnized,  so  much  the  more  per¬ 
fectly  did  the  Blessed  Virgin  perform  this  ceremony  in 
spirit  when  she  held  the  Redeemer  in  her  arms  and 
offered  Him  up  to  the  eternal  Father  with  her  own  hands, 
and  united  her  intention  with  all  that  this  figurative  cere¬ 
mony  represented.  That  is  to  say,  she  offered  up  the 
divine  Redeemer,  a  victim  for  the  whole  human  race,  which 
was  graciously  redeemed  by  His  death.  And  as  on  the 
day  of  Annunciation,  Mary  gave  her  concurrence  to  the 
Incarnation  of  God,  so  to-day  she  wills  and  submits  to  the 
duty  of  suffering  a  sacrificial  death,  for  this  day  was  a 
figure  of  it  and  the  first  preparation.”  The  Holy  Mother 
of  God  was  soon  to  know,  by  actual  experience,  the  part 
that  she  was  to  act  in  the  life  of  sacrifice  and  the  death 
of  sacrifice. 

THE  FIRST  THRUST  IN  THE  MOTHER’S  HEART. 

“And  behold  there  was  a  man  in  Jerusalem  named 
Simeon,  and  this  man  was  just  and  devout,  waiting  for 
the  consolation  of  Israel,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  in  him. 
And  he  had  received  an  answer  from  the  Holy  Ghost, 
that  he  should  not  see  death,  before  he  had  seen  the 
Christ  of  the  Lord.  And  he  came  by  the  Spirit  into 
the  Temple.  And  when  His  parents  brought  in  the  Child 
Jesus,  to  do  for  Him  according  to  the  custom  of  the  law. 
He  also  took  him  into  his  arms,  and  blessed  God,  and 
said :  Now  thou  dost  dismiss  Thy  servant,  O  Lord,  ac¬ 
cording  to  Thy  word,  in  peace :  Because  my  eyes  have 


The  Purification — Candlemas.  229 

seen  Thy  salvation,  which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the 
face  of  all  peoples.  A  light  to  the  revelation  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people  Israel.”  (Luke  ii.  25-32.) 

What  a  remarkable  personage  this  aged  and  venerable 
Simeon  seems  to  be  !  How  admirable  God’s  dispensa¬ 
tions  in  regard  to  him  !  How  grandly  he  speaks  out  the 
joy  and  gratitude  of  his  priestly  heart,  whose  ardent  long¬ 
ings  are  now  at  last  satisfied !  Mary,  too,  on  her  side, 
praises  and  thanks  the  Lord  for  this  new  miracle.  It  was 
pleasant  for  her  to  hear  the  significant  prophecy,  that  her 
Son  was  to  be  a  light  for  the  revelation  of  the  Gentiles. 

Then  the  gray-haired  prophet  turned  to  Mary  herself, 
the  progenitrix  of  this  “  Salvation  ”  of  all  peoples,  and, 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  addresses  her  :  “  Behold 
this  child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  for  the  resurrection  of 
many  in  Israel,  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  contradicted. 
And  thy  own  soul  a  sword  shall  pierce,  that  out  of  many 
hearts,  thoughts  may  be  revealed.”  (Luke  ii.  34,  35.) 

Simeon  then  ceased  to  speak,  but  in  the  soul  of  the 
listening  mother  a  mysterious  movement  was  taking 
place,  a  working  of  divine  grace,  a  renewed  and  augmented 
sanctification.  She  was  too  familiar  with  the  predictions 
of  the  prophets,  and  her  heavenly  inspired  soul  enjoyed 
too  clear  an  insight  into  the  plan  of  Redemption,  not  to 
know  that  ignominy,  sorrow,  and  pain  would  be  the  por¬ 
tion  of  the  Redeemer  throughout  His  earthly  career. 
But,  to  have  this  secret  subject  of  her  anxious  soul,  her 
deep  concern  for  her  divine  Child’s  future,  thus  publicly 
and  solemnly  declared  by  Simeon,  was  indeed  for  her  a 
deep  wound,  a  sharp  thrust  of  that  seven-edged  sword 
which  was  to  pierce  her  innocent,  true,  and  loving  heart. 
In  spirit,  she  looked  out  on  that  boundless  surging  sea  of 
troubles,  pain,  and  death,  on  which  her  Son  was  to  be 
tossed  about,  and  she  was  willing  to  be  swallowed  up  in 
its  bitter  waters.  The  bright  and  loving  eyes  with  which 


230  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

her  Child  looked  up  into  her  gentle  face  seemed  to  shed 
tears  of  blood.  The  little  hands  that  He  playfully  stretched 
towards  her  seemed  to  her  tearful  eyes  to  be  already 
pierced  by  the  nails.  Her  affliction  would  have  been 
hardly  more  intense  were  the  death-sentence  of  her  Son 
to  be  there  and  then  pronounced  and  put  in  execution. 
But,  alas  !  the  sorrow  was  to  be  so  soon  over.  For  two- 
and-thirty  long  years  and  more  she  was  to  witness  in  spirit, 
and  in  the  depths  of  her  heart  the  sufferings  of  Good 
Friday.  What  a  sorrow,  what  affliction,  what  an  endur¬ 
ing  trial  for  such  a  tender  mother ! 

Mary,  Mother  of  sorrows  !  Most  sincerely  do  I  sym¬ 
pathize  with  thy  grieving  heart.  Oh,  that  I  could  be  per¬ 
mitted  to  share  thy  affliction  !  But,  at  least  I  may  be 
allowed  to  thank  thee  with  all  the  powers  of  my  heart  and 
soul  for  the  heroic  fortitude,  the  equanimity,  and  the 
resignation  with  which,  for  love  of  us  sinful  men,  thou 
didst  carry  in  thy  holy  soul,  for  so  many  long  years,  that 
seven-fold  sword  of  anguish.  Behold,  dearest  Mother,  I 
lay  bare  to  thee  my  sin-stained  soul ;  pierce  it  with  the 
sword  of  a  sincere,  bitter  contrition  in  order  that  I  may 
sorrow  with  thee,  and  shun  evermore  those  sins  of  mine 
that  are  the  cause  of  thy  sorrow.  I  beseech  thee,  best  of 
mothers,  that  thou  wouldst  offer  to  the  heavenly  Father, 
the  bleeding  wounds  of  thy  agonized  heart,  and  through 
them  obtain  for  me  a  God-pleasing  contrition  for  my  sins. 
And  when  the  arrow  of  death  shall  pierce  my  soul,  let  me 
not  die  till  I  shall  have  been  reconciled  with  God,  by  a 
sincere  sorrow  for  my  misspent  life  and  by  a  worthy 
and  profitable  reception  of  the  holy  Viaticuhi. 

THE  PROPHETESS  ANNA. 

Simeon  was  not  to  be  the  only  one  to  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  greeting  the  Saviour  on  His  first  appearance  in  the 


The  Purification — Candlemas.  231 

Temple.  Other  eyes  were  to  be  gladdened  by  the  “  Light 
of  the  world.” 

“  And  there  was  one  Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter 
of  Phanuel,  of  the  tribe  of  Aser :  she  was  far  advanced  in 
years,  and  had  lived  with  her  husband  seven  years  from 
her  virginity.  And  she  was  a  widow  until  fourscore  and 
four  years  :  who  departed  not  from  the  Temple,  by  fastings 
and  prayers  serving  night  and  day.  Now  she  at  the  same 
hour  coming  in,  confessed  to  the  Lord  :  and  spoke  of  Him 
to  all  that  looked  for  the  redemption  of  Israel.”  (Luke 
ii.  36-38.) 

Anna  had  been,  as  has  been  already  stated,  the  pre¬ 
ceptress  and  friend  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  during  her 
twelve  years’  sojourn  in  the  Temple,  Together  they  had 
loved  and  served  God,  together  they  had  yearned  and 
prayed  for  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer.  In  reward  now 
for  that  love  and  devotedness  to  God,  in  reward  for  her 
motherly  solicitude,  love,  and  care  for  Mary  in  her  tender 
years,  an  all-kind  and  merciful  God  was  pleased  to  grant 
her  in  her  declining  years  the  happiness  of  beholding  and 
adoring  the  long-desired  Redeemer.  But  this  gracious 
privilege  was  granted  also  as  a  reward  from  heaven  for 
her  continency,  fastings,  and  prayers. 

Christian  reader,  it  cannot  have  escaped  your  serious 
observation  that  in  the  persons  of  Simeon  and  Anna 
pious  old  age  has  been  in  a  special  manner  honored  and 
privileged.  Follow  then  with  strict  observance  this  divine 
example.  Always  have  a  respect  for  gray  hairs./  Bear 
patiently  the  odd  whims  of  the  aged  and  feeble  ;  for  old 
age  is  in  itself  an  infirmity  that  brings  with  it  many  severe 
trials.  If  Providence  has  seen  fit  to  leave  in  your  charge 
a  gray-haired  father  or  an  aged  mother,  then  cherish, 
love,  and  honor  this  treasure  of  heaven.  Thank  God  daily 
for  the  grace  and  privilege  of  being  able  to  serve  and 
defend  this  representative  of  God.  Not  only  for  eternity 


232  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

will  God  be  willing  to  reward  your  fidelity  to  father  and 
mother,  as  if  you  had  done  it  to  Himself,  but  even  in  this 
world  will  He  grant  to  yourself  a  happy  and  honored  old 
age. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

MARY  AND  JOSEPH  FLY  WITH  THEIR  CHILD  INTO 

EGYPT. 

WEEPING  AND  WAILING  IN  BETHLEHEM. 

SIMEON’S  prophecy,  that  the  Saviour  would  be  for 
the  fall  of  many  and  that  a  sword  would  pierce 
the  heart  of  His  blessed  Mother,  was  very  soon  to  be 
verified. 

Hardly  had  the  Holy  Family  returned  to  Bethlehem 
from  their  holy  pilgrimage  to  the  Temple,  when  they  were 
again  compelled  to  grasp  the  pilgrim’s  staff  and  go  forth 
into  lengthened  exile. 

With  uneasy  anxiety,  Herod  had  awaited  for  some  time 
the  return  of  the  three  Wise  Men  from  Bethlehem.  But 
as  they  did  not  come  back,  he  began  to  hope  that  they 
had  been  unable  to  find  any  new-born  Prince,  and  were 
ashamed  to  appear  again  in  Jerusalem.  Perhaps,  with 
his  cool,  calculating  cruelty,  he  desired  to  postpone  his 
murderous  scheme  until  after  the  completion  of  the  royal 
census  of  the  inhabitants,  in  order  that  he  might  have  a 
better  knowledge  of  the  numbers,  names,  and  homes  of 
his  victims,  and  so  make  his  plans  more  complete  and 
successful.  Anyhow,  Providence  so  directed  events 
that  the  tyrant  did  not  give  his  final  orders  for  the 
slaughter  of  the  children  in  Bethlehem,  until  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  her  child  had  complied  in  safety  with  all  the 


The  Flight  into  Egypt . 


233 


requirements  of  the  law  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  and 
had  reached  again  their  quiet  home.  But  by  this  time 
rumors  began  to  go  abroad  about  the  late  events  and 
finally  reached  the  foot  of  the  throne  itself.  It  was  told 
that  the  Messias  had  been  publicly  recognized  and  an¬ 
nounced  in  the  Temple  by  the  heaven-inspired  Simeon 
and  the  venerable  and  respected  Anna„ 

“  Then  Herod  perceiving  that  he  was  deluded  by  the 
Wise  Men,  was  exceeding  angry,  and  sending  killed  all  the 
men-children  that  were  in  Bethlehem,  and  in  all  the 
borders  thereof,  from  two  years  old  and  under,  according 
to  the  time  which  he  had  diligently  inquired  of  the  Wise 
Men.  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by 
Jeremias  the  prophet,  saying:  A  voice  in  Rama  [that  is 
to  say  on  the  hill  on  which  Bethlehem  stood]  was  heard, 
lamentation  and  great  mourning :  Rachel  bewailing  her 
children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  because  they  are 
not.”  (Matt.  ii.  16-18.) 

Spare  me,  Christian  reader,  the  sad  task  of  describing 
to  you  the  scene  and  incidents  of  this  cruel  proceeding, 
this  scene  of  wild  consternation  amid  the  mothers  of 
Bethlehem,  when  they  beheld  their  innocent  offspring 
butchered  by  Herod’s  soldiers.  In  humble  silence  let  us 
adore  the  unfathomable  designs,  and  the  inscrutable 
decrees  of  God,  whereby  it  has  come  to  pass  that  in¬ 
nocent  children  should  be  the  first  to  be  put  to  death  for 
sake  of  Him  who  out  of  love  for  us  became  Himself  a 
helpless  child.  But  even  in  the  midst  of  this  cruel  act 
God’s  goodness  is  not  hidden  from  view.  These  innocent 
children  have  for  nigh  two  thousand  years  enjoyed  the 
delights  of  Paradise,  and  the  honor  and  homage  of  men 
on  earth.  Had  they  not  died  in  the  years  of  their  in¬ 
nocence,  what  might  they  not  have  become  had  they 
grown  up  amid  the  wickedness  of  those  times  !  Perhaps 
they  might  have  been  of  the  number  of  those  who  rejected 


234  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

Christ,  who  persecuted  Him  and  put  Him  to  death.  Very 
truly  and  fittingly  does  that  son  of  St.  Benedict,  the 
venerable  Bede,  say  :  “In  the  slaughter  of  the  children 
of  Bethlehem,  the  precious  death  of  all  the  martyrs  of 
Christ  is  foreshadowed.  They  died  as  children  :  only  the 
humility  of  children  attains  to  glory.  They  were  put  to 
death  in  Bethlehem,  where  that  Church  took  its  rise,  in 
which  and  with  which  alone  her  faithful  can  suffer  meri¬ 
toriously.  The  arm  of  the  persecutor  reached  all  the 
children,  the  Child  Jesus  alone  excepted.  So,  too,  the 
power  of  persecutors  can  reach  only  the  bodies  of  the 
martyrs,  but  Christ  cannot  be  taken  from  them.  They 
belong  to  Him  and  He  to  them.” 

For  you,  Christian  mothers,  this  slaughter  of  the  babes 
of  Bethlehem  ought  to  afford  an  instructive  lesson,  so 
that  you  may  not  offend  God  by  immoderate  grief,  and 
rebellious  complaints,  when  He  is  pleased  to  call  home  to 
heaven  the  child  that  He  has  lent  to  you.  Surely  you 
ought  to  comfort  yourself  with  the  assurance  that  your 
dear  departed  child  is  a  happy  angel  before  the  throne  of 
heaven.  Would  you  by  your  unreasonable  grief  mar  or 
destroy  its  happiness  in  heaven  ?  And  if  your  child  had 

lived  longer,  what  would  it  become  in  this  wicked  world  ? 

« 

"* 

THE  SECOND  PLUNGE  OF  THE  SWORD  IN  MARY’S  HEART. 

But  where  is  our  Infant  Jesus,  and  where  His  terrified 
Mother  during  these  dreadful  days  in  Bethlehem  ?  The 
unfailing  star  of  Providence  still  shines  above  the  stable 
at  Bethlehem. 

Before  the  death-warrant  of  the  children  could  be  made 
out,  signed,  and  promulgated  by  Herod,  “  behold  an  Angel 
of  the  Lord  appeared  in  sleep  to  Joseph,  saying:  Arise, 
and  take  the  child  and  His  Mother,  and  fly  into  Egypt, 
and  be  there  until  I  shall  tell  thee.  For  it  will  come  to 


The  Flight  into  Egypt. 


235 


pass  that  Herod  will  seek  the  child  to  destroy  Him.  Who 
arose,  and  took  the  child  and  His  Mother  by  night  and 
retired  into  Egypt.”  (Matt.  ii.  13,  14.) 

Christian  reader,  in  these  few  and  simple  words  of  the 
Holy  Gospel  is  contained  a  long  and  harrowing  history 
of  sorrow  and  trial. 

Just  as  the  angel,  about  a  year  previous,  had  appeared 
to  St.  Joseph  bringing  the  glad  and  welcome  order  that 
he  should  without  any  fear  take  Mary  to  himself,  so  now 
does  he  appear,  but  with  a  message  of  terror,  and  order¬ 
ing  an  immediate  flight.  Both  of  these  angelic  instruc¬ 
tions  the  gentle  patriarch  obeyed  with  the  same  alacrity 
and  equanimity  of  soul.  The  Mother  of  God,  on  her 
part,  manifested  no  undue  perplexity  or  discontent.  She 
hastily  gathered  together  a  few  necessaries  for  the  journey, 
while  St.  Joseph  saddled  the  beast  of  burden.  Then 
taking  in  her  arms  the  angelic  Babe,  and  pressing  Him  to 
her  throbbing  heart,  the  holy  pilgrims  go  forth  into  the 
cold,  starry  night,  away  to  a  foreign  land,  through  the 
trackless  desert,  and  into  a  heathen  country. 

Christian  reader,  do  not  forget  the  fact  that  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  grace  in  Mary’s  soul  did  not  extinguish  her 
natural  affections.  On  the  contrary,  grace  intensified 
these  feelings  in  her  pure  and  tender  bosom.  But  what 
natural  feeling  overruled  all  others  during  this  perilous 
journey  of  the  Virgin  ?  Fear,  a  crushing  fear,  for  the  life 
of  her  Child  ;  a  dread  of  the  unknown  future,  of  the  un¬ 
known  land,  of  unseen  dangers,  of  the  Arabs  loitering  in 
the  mountain-passes,  of  probable  pursuit  by  Herod’s 
soldiers  to  take  her  child  and  slay  it.  Holy  Scripture  is 
silent  with  regard  to  the  various  incidents  undergone  by 
the  Holy  Family  during  this  painful  and  lonely  journey 
into  exile,  but  pious  legend  has  adorned  it  with  a  charm¬ 
ing  coloring  of  varied  scene  and  incident.  Among  other 
things,  it  relates  that  a  lofty  palm-tree  laden  with  ripe 


236  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

dates  lowered  its  branches  in  order  to  place  its  fruit 
within  the  reach  of  the  tired  and  famished  Virgin.  It 
tells  how  two  angels  ferried  the  Holy  Family  across  a 
lake  in  a  little  boat  during  a  severe  gale  of  wind  and 
rain.  Can  we  refuse  to  believe  that  holy  angels  accom¬ 
panied  and  defended  the  holy  travellers  during  their 
entire  journey. 

At  last  they  crossed  the  boundary  line  of  their  own 
country,  and  came  to  the  edge  of  the  immense  dismal 
desert  they  were  obliged  to  traverse  before  they  would 
reach  the  confines  of  Egypt.  What  they  here  endured 
cannot  be  described  in  words.  After  leaving  the  town  of 
Gaza,  the  travellers  saw  nothing  before  or  around  them 
but  immense  plains  of  dry  and  blinding  sand,  ankle-deep, 
made  hot  and  parching  by  the  scorching  winds  blowing 
from  the  south.  Not  a  spring  of  sweet  water  was  to 
be  found,  no  spot  of  fresh  verdure,  no  place  to  rest,  or 
seek  refuge  from  the  dazzling  rays  of  the  sun.  To  their 
bodily  inconveniences  were  added  an  invincible  dread  and 
anxiety  of  soul.  It  would  have  been  overpowering  for 
Mary  and  Joseph,  if  in  the  moments  of  most  distressing 
need,  the  divine  Child  did  not  temporarily  lay  aside  the 
veilings  of  His  human  weakness,  and  manifest  His  power 
as  the  Almighty  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth. 

IN  EXILE. 

After  a  journey  of  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles,  the  holy  refugees  reached  Heliopolis,  or  the  City 
of  the  Sun,  which  was  the  birthplace  of  Moses.  Here 
there  was  a  considerable  colony  of  Jews,  with  a  temple 
dedicated  to  Jehovah,  that  had  been  built  by  Onias, 
after  the  plan  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  A  reliable 
writer  of  Church  history,  Sozomenus,  who  lived  in  the 
first  ages  of  Christianity,  relates  (“History  ”  v.  21)  that 


The  Flight  into  Egypt. 


237 


“the  false  gods  in  one  of  the  chief  pagan  temples  of 
Heliopolis  were  cast  down  from  their  pedestals  and 
broken  to  pieces  the  moment  that  the  true  Son  of  the 
living  God  passed  the  gates  of  the  city.”  This  we  may 
easily  believe,  when  we  remember  that  the  idol  of  Dagon 
was  cast  down  and  shattered  on  the  ground,  losing  its 
head  and  arms,  at  the  approach  of  the  mere  material 
Ark  of  the  Covenant.  This  last  fact  is  given  in  Holy 
Scripture  in  the  First  Book  of  Kings.  The  Prophet  Isaias 
foretold  these  occurrences  in  Egypt,  when  he  made  use 
of  the  following  words :  “  Behold  the  Lord  will  ascend 
upon  a  swift  cloud,  and  will  enter  into  Egypt,  and  the 
idols  of  Egypt  shall  be  moved  at  His  presence.”  (Is.  xix. 
i.)  Yet  it  was  not  in  Heliopolis,  the  handsome  city  of 
mysterious  Egypt,  that  the  holy  exiles  resolved  to  take 
up  their  abode.  According  to  the  unanimous  opinion  of 
the  earliest  writers  they  decided  to  sojourn  in  Matarea,  or 
City  of  Sweet  Waters ;  so  called  because  it  contained  the 
only  fountain  in  all  Egypt  of  cool  and  wholesome  drink¬ 
ing-water.  It  was  a  small  quiet  village,  buried  in  a  grove 
of  fig-trees,  and  reminded  our  pilgrims  of  their  native 
Nazareth. 

But  how  is  the  Holy  Family  to  procure  a  subsistence 
in  a  land  where  the  inhabitants,  despise  foreigners,  and 
refuse  to  afford  them  either  employment  or  alms,  as  long 
as  they  can  find  natives  of  their  own  country  to  give  em¬ 
ployment  to.  In  Nazareth,  the  immaculate  daughter  of 
heaven  had  already  led  a  life  of  humble  toil,  but  then  she 
did  not  suffer  from  the  sleepless  nights,  anxious  days,  and 
constant  privations  that  invariably  attend  poverty  and 
exile.  Alas,  how  dear  is  bread  among  strangers  !  often 
she  sat  up  the  whole  night  at  work,  endeavoring  to  pro¬ 
cure  the  necessaries  of  life,  to  supply  which  the  wages  of 
St.  Joseph  were  not  adequate.  As  she  knew  how  to 
embroider  and  sew,  with  elegant  skill,  the  finest  and  most 


238  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

costly  materials,  for  she  had  learned  these  branches 
when  at  school  in  the  Temple,  she  was  employed  by 
several  of  the  first  ladies  of  Heliopolis.  Yet  it  may  have 
often  happened  that  the  Saviour-Boy  needed  bread  when 
the  grieved  Mother  had  nothing  to  offer  Him  but  tears. 

The  Blessed  Virgin  understood  how  to  make  use  of 
her  presence  and  that  of  her  Son  in  Egypt  to  lessen  and 
discredit  the  worship  of  idols,  and  to  advance  the  conver¬ 
sion  of  her  pagan  neighbors.  As  she  was  gentle,  friendly, 
and  charitable,  she  soon  won  the  confidence  of  the  women 
of  Matarea  and  Heliopolis.  The  Mother  of  Eternal  Wis¬ 
dom  availed  herself  of  every  opportunity  to  speak  to  them 
of  the  remarkable  signs  of  the  times,  such  as  the  defi¬ 
ciency  of  the  pagan  gods,  and  the  fall  of  the  idols  in  the  pa¬ 
gan  temples.  Her  words  sank  deeply  into  their  hardened 
hearts,  and  not  a  few  of  her  best-disposed  neighbors  prom¬ 
ised  to  renounce  these  false  gods  and  to  have  recourse 
to  the  one  true  God  of  the  Chosen  People.  Soon,  Chris¬ 
tian  reader,  history  was  able  to  show  us  Egypt,  especially 
the  solitudes  of  Thebais,  peopled  with  a  race  of  saints. 
Thousands  of  men  left  their  families,  their  earthly  pos¬ 
sessions,  their  positions  of  honor,  and  the  conveniences 
and  comforts  of  life,  and,  going  into  these  deserts  of 
Egypt,  gave  themselves  up  to  lives  of  severest  penance 
and  unceasing  prayer  and  praise.  Such  were  St.  Paul, 
St.  Anthony,  and  St.  Pachomius,  whose  sanctity  has  been 
a  theme  of  admiration  in  all  ages  of  the  Church,  down  even 
to  the  present  day.  Verily,  virtue  throve  the  most 
vigorously  and  fruitfully  in  the  soil  consecrated  by  the 
footsteps  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph. 

THE  RETURN  TO  FATHERLAND. 

The  length  of  time  passed  by  the  Holy  Family  in  Egypt 
those  versed  in  antiquities  fail  to  state.  Writers  on  this 


The  Flight  i?ito  Egypt. 


239 


subject  differ  very  much,  some  saying  one  year,  others 
seven.  The  last  has  been  adopted  as  the  most  probable 
length  of  their  stay  by  so  reliable  an  authority  as  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas. 

Mary  and  Joseph  cherished  in  their  unwavering  hearts 
the  certain  conviction  that  the  same  Providence  who  had 
ordered  them  to  that  country  by  His  angel  would  in  a 
similar  manner  tell  them  when  to  return  home.  With 
what  unspeakable  longing  they  awaited  this  much-desired 
message  from  heaven !  How  often,  when  overcome  with 
a  desire  for  home,  friends,  and  neighbors,  did  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  amid  her  toils  and  privations,  make  use  of  the 
words  of  David,  her  royal  ancestor :  “  Wo  is  me  that  my 
sojourning  is  prolonged  ;  I  have  dwelt  with  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  Cedar  [that  is  to  say,  amid  the  plundering  tribes 
of  Arabia],  my  soul  hath  been  long  a  sojourner.”  (Ps. 
cxix.  5.) 

“  But  when  Herod  was  dead,  behold  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
appeared  in  sleep  to  Joseph  in  Egypt,  Saying :  Arise 
and  take  the  child  and  His  Mother,  and  go  into  the  land 
of  Israel :  for  they  are  dead  that  sought  the  life  of  the 
child.  Who  arose,  and  took  the  child  and  His  Mother,  and 
came  into  the  land  of  Israel.  But  hearing  that  Archelaus 
reigned  in  Judea  in  the  room  of  Herod  his  father,  he  was 
afraid  to  go  thither :  and  being  warned  in  sleep,  retired 
into  the  quarters  of  Galilee.  And  coming  he  dwelt  in  a 
city  called  Nazareth :  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was 
said  by  the  prophets  :  That  He  shall  be  called  a  Nazarite.” 
(Matt.  ii.  19-23.) 

Consider  here,  Christian  reader,  with  what  steady  solic¬ 
itude  the  eye  of  God  watched  over  the  severely  tried 
Holy  Family,  and  just  at  the  proper  moment  notified  them 
to  return  home.  Over  you,  too,  dear  reader,  does  His 
fatherly  eye  keep  constant  watch  ;  to  you  in  your  trouble 
He  says :  “  Can  a  woman  forget  her  infant,  so  as  not  to 


240  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

have  pity  on  the  son  of  her  womb  ?  and  if  she  should  for* 
get,  yet  will  not  I  forget  thee.  Behold  I  have  graven  thee 
in  My  hands.”  (Is.  xlix.  15,  16.) 

Consider,  further,  the  celerity  and  cheerfulness  with 
which  Mary  and  Joseph  left  their  place  of  exile,  and  hast’ 
ened  homeward.  Christian  reader,  do  not  we  also,  bam 
ished  children  of  Eve,  live  in  a  valley  of  tears  ?  Is  there 
not  awaiting  us  in  heaven  a  happy,  everlasting  home  ? 
Yet,  do  we  not  live  here  as  if  we  owned  on  earth  mansions 
that  would  last  for  eternity  ?  How  little  desire  in  our 
hearts  for  spiritual  everlasting  good  ! 

Consider,  in  the  third  place,  the  prudent  foresight  with 
which  St.  Joseph,  in  harmony  with  his  careful  spouse, 
endeavored  to  guard  against  new  dangers  at  home,  and 
therefore  resolved  to  repair  to  the  quiet  town  of  Nazareth 
in  despised  Galilee,  instead  of  exposing  again  his  chaste 
spouse  and  his  divine  Foster-Child  and  himself  to  Herod’s 
vindictive  anger.  Yet  you,  Christian  reader,  how  often 
you  expose  carelessly  your  most  precious  treasures,  your 
faith,  your  innocence,  your  piety,  heaven  itself  to  every 
risk ! 

Consider,  lastly,  the  shocking  death  of  Herod.  His 
last  sickness  was  frightfully  disgusting.  But  more  dread¬ 
ful  still  the  agony  and  despair  of  his  soul.  At  one  time, 
devils  swarmed  about  his  bed,  then  he  imagined  that  he 
saw  the  souls  of  the  slaughtered  Innocents  of  Bethlehem, 
and  the  souls  of  his  own  sons  who  had  been  slain  by  his 
orders.  His  agonizing  despair  was  so  intense  that  his  at¬ 
tendants  barely  succeeded,  after  the  utmost  watchfulness, 
in  preventing  him  from  destroying  the  little  life  that  was  left 
in  him.  So  does  it  always  happen  to  the  persecutors  of 
Christ  and  the  enemies  of  His  Church.  Throughout  the 
long  length  of  many  centuries  countless  Herods  have 
arisen  who,  with  all  the  appliances  of  power  and  falsehood 
have  sought  to  take  away  the  life  of  Christ  and  His  Church, 


Jesus  is  Found  in  the  Temple. 


241 


But  soon  came  the  angel  of  justice  with  the  tidings  : 
“  They  are  dead  who  sought  the  life.”  Generally  they 
were  “dead  ”  of  a  frightful  death.  The  Church  of  Christ, 
meanwhile,  pursues  the  even  tenor  of  her  way ;  always 
ancient,  ever  young ;  enriched  with  constantly  increasing 
power,  glory,  and  merit ;  always  overcoming  her  enemies. 
Christian  reader,  be  not  despondent  at  the  present  per¬ 
secutions.  They  will  soon  pass  away  from  earth  who 
have  persecuted  her.  The  Church  itself,  however,  will 
never  be  overcome  by  the  gates  of  hell. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

JESUS  WHEN  TWELVE  YEARS  OLD  IS  SOUGHT  BY  HIS 
PARENTS  AND  FOUND  IN  THE  TEMPLE. 

THE  SACREDNESS  OF  A  RETIRED  LIFE. 

]-[OW  gladly,  Christian  reader,  would  I  speak  to  you 
about  the  youth,  growth,  and  amiable  deportment  of 
the  boy  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ;  and  how  pleasant  and  prof¬ 
itable  would  such  a  recital  be  for  writer  and  reader.  But 
we  are  not  writing  a  life  of  Christ,  only  a  life  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  His  Mother.  Hence  only  the  merest,  brief¬ 
est  mention  can  be  made  of  such  circumstances,  events, 
and  words  as  are  identified  with  the  history  of  our  ever- 
blessed  Lady. 

When  the  Holy  Family,  after  several  years  of  absence, 
came  back  to  Nazareth,  there  was  great  rejoicing  among 
the  kinsfolk  and  acquaintances.  These,  though  glad  to 
welcome  among  themselves  once  more  the  kindly  and 
patriarchal  Joseph,  and  the  gentle,  modest  Mary,  were  more 
especially  charmed  with  the  amiable,  fair,  and  comely  Boy 


242  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

who  accompanied  the  wayfarers.  The  good  neighbors, 
who  believed  Jesus  to  be  the  Son  of  Joseph,  were  unceas¬ 
ing  in  their  praises  and  congratulations.  During  their 
absence  in  Egypt,  Joseph’s  simple  cottage  on  the  side  of 
the  hill  had  become  dilapidated,  and  all  the  former  signs 
of  the  industry,  economy,  and  neatness  of  Mary’s  man¬ 
agement,  both  within  and  without,  had  completely  disap¬ 
peared.  Even  the  few  trifling  effects  left  behind  in  their 
sudden  departure  for  Egypt  had  fallen  to  pieces  or  been 
carried  away.  They  had  left  poverty  behind  them  in 
Egypt,  only  to  find  it  again  in  Nazareth.  But  the  mere 
thought  of  being  permitted  to  labor  and  care  for  the  divine 
Treasure  of  heaven  inspired  the  now  aged  and  feeble 
Joseph  with  renewed  youth  and  vigor,  and  incited  the 
blessed  Mother  to  renewed  assiduity  and  industry.  The 
blessing  of  God  was  abundant  and  effective  within  their 
little  circle.  Thus  they  soon  succeeded  in  making  their 
little  house  habitable,  and  in  procuring  means  to  obtain 
the  necessaries  of  life. 

But  the  Sun  of  this  renewed  domestic  life  was  their 
Child  Jesus  who  had  also  been  their  bright  and  cheering 
sunlight  in  the  Egyptian  darkness  of  their  banishment. 
He  was  always  the  Sunlight  of  Mary’s  heart.  All  the 
countless,  nameless  joys  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  her 
youth  had  afforded  to  her  saintly  mother  St.  Anne 
now  became  her  own  through  her  amiable  and  lov¬ 
ing  Son,  to  remain  with  her  forever.  What  a  heavenly 
delight  for  Mary’s  tender,  loving  soul,  when  the  Lord  and 
future  Judge  of  heaven  and  earth  hung  upon  the  neck  of 
His  creature  !  What  joy  when  He  took  His  first  step 
alone ;  when  she  discovered  traces  of  her  own  features  in 
the  boyish  countenance  of  the  God-Man,  and  saw  them 
more  and  more  plainly  developing  from  day  to  day  !  How 
sweet  to  hear  Him  lisp  for  the  first  time,  the  dear  word, 
“  Mother  ” !  In  her  heart,  motherly  love  and  humble 


Jesus  is  Found  in  the  Temple . 


243 


adoration  were  mingled  in  the  most  admirable  manner. 
So  too  were  childish  simplicity  and  weakness  united  to 
divine  attributes  in  the  person  of  her  Son.  This  fact  is 
expressed  by  the  Evangelist  in  the  few  expressive  and 
significant  words  :  “  The  child  grew  and  waxed  strong, 
full  of  wisdom  :  and  the  grace  of  God  was  in  Him.” 
(Luke  ii.  40.) 


THE  PILGRIMAGE. 

But  this  happy  and  tranquil  state  of  domestic  life  was 
soon  disturbed  and  embittered  by  a  drop  of  anguish. 
Three  times  in  the  year,  on  the  feasts  of  Easter,  Pente¬ 
cost,  and  the  Tabernacles,  were  the  men  of  Israel  obliged 
to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  the  city  containing  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  which  since  King  David’s  time  had  rested 
within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  (Ex.  xxxiv.  23.)  Women 
were  not  required  to  make  this  visit  to  the  Temple,  yet 
the  most  pious  among  them,  and  of  course  Mary,  made, 
it  voluntarily  out  of  devotion.  Thus  the  Evangelist  could 
with  truth  write  of  Mary  and  Joseph,  that  they  went  up 
every  year  to  the  festival  of  the  Pasch  at  Jerusalem. 
This  was  no  small  sacrifice,  especially  on  the  part  of  the 
delicate  Virgin,  for  the  distance  was  more  than  thirty 
leagues.  Every  boy  in  Israel,  on  reaching  his  twelfth 
year,  was  by  law  declared  to  be  “  of  age.”  He  emerged 
from  childhood  and,  to  some  extent,  from  his  parents’ 
guardianship,  and  was  admitted  as  a  sufficiently  grown 
and  matured  member  of  the  Israelite  community.  He 
was  also  now  obliged  to  perform  all  religious  exercises. 

As  the  eternal  Son  of  the  heavenly  Father  out  of 
humility  and  obedience  wished  to  be  considered  the  Son  of 
Joseph,  and  also  to  comply  with  the  laws  of  Israel,  He 
undertook,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  to  perform  the 
pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  to  celebrate  the  Passover,  in 


244  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

* 

company  with  His  Mother  and  His  foster-father.  Once 
before,  as  you  remember,  Christian  reader,  had  the  ador¬ 
able  Saviour-God  come  to  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem.  He 
came  from  Bethlehem  a  child  of  forty  days.  At  that 
time  Simeon’s  words  pierced  Mary’s  soul  like  a  sharp 
sword.  Now  the  thoughtful  Blessed  Virgin  was  meditating 
on  the  unspeakable  series  of  wonderful  dispensations  of 
graces,  of  joys,  and  of  sorrows  that  had  been  her  portion 
during  the  past  twelve  years.  Did  her  warning  heart  feel 
a  presentiment  that  now  again  her  soul  was  to  be  rent 
almost  in  twain  by  another  plunge  of  Simeon’s  cruel  sword  ? 

The  journey  was  fatiguing,  especially  for  St.  Joseph, 
who  was  now  aged  and  broken  down  with  hard  work,  as 
well  also  for  the  delicate  Boy,  and  even  for  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  though  in  the  prime  of  life,  being  then  about  twenty- 
eight  years  of  age.  Yet  the  hardships  of  the  journey 
were  much  lightened  by  the  numerous  and  pleasant  com¬ 
pany  who  joined  them,  and  whose  numbers  were  aug¬ 
mented  at  every  mile.  Whether,  on  occasion  of  this 
visit,  the  Holy  Family  were  able  to  find  suitable  lodg¬ 
ings,  or  whether,  on  account  of  the  crowds  of  visitors  in 
Jerusalem,  the  sad  events  of  Christmas  Eve  in  Bethlehem, 
were  repeated,  Holy  Scripture  does  not  tell  us. 

Never,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  was  the  Son  of 
God  made  man  so  worthily  praised  in  His  Temple  at  Jeru¬ 
salem  as  on  this  Feast  of  the  Passover  in  the  twelfth 
year  of  the  Christian  era.  Twelve  years  previously,  to  be 
sure,  the  same  three  holy  persons  were  there,  but  at  that 
time  our  dear  Lord  was  but  a  helpless  child.  To-day 
He  kneels  between  Mary  and  Joseph  in  the  Temple,  and 
in  union  with  them  adores  His  heavenly  Father.  We  may 
well  conceive  that  the  angels  of  heaven  broke  off  their 
chant  of  praise  and  covered  their  faces  with  their  wings, 
in  presence  of  the  divine  Worshipper  on  earth,  as  He 
knelt  in  prayer  between  Mary  and  Joseph. 


Jesus  is  Found  in  the  Temple. 


245 


THE  LOST  TREASURE. 

“  And  having  fulfilled  the  days,  when  they  returned, 
the  Child  Jesus  remained  in  Jerusalem,  and  His  parents 
knew  it  not.  And  thinking  that  He  was  in  the  company, 
they  came  a  day’s  journey,  and  sought  Him  among  their 
kinsfolk  and  acquaintance.”  (Luke  ii.  43-44.) 

Humanly  speaking,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  us  to 
conceive  how  so  prudent  and  so  obedient  a  Son  as  was 
Jesus  Christ  could  thus  desert  His  beloved  parents,  and 
plunge  them  into  such  great  misery  and  anxiety.  Such 
was  the  will  of  God.  How  again  was  it  possible  that  such 
vigilant  and  careful  parents  did  not  sooner  discover  His 
absence  ?  Even  if  we  regard  the  occurrence  as  a  mere 
accident  rather  than  a  special  dispensation  of  God’s  will, 
the  explanation  of  it  is  simple  and  easy.  In  these  pil¬ 
grimages  of  the  Israelites  the  men  and  the  women  usually 
travelled  in  separate  bands,  each  sex  by  themselves. 
The  children  were  at  liberty  to  travel  in  either  band. 
Thus  it  happened  that  when  returning  from  Jerusalem, 
Mary  supposed  her  Child  was  with  St.  Joseph,  while  he 
on  the  other  hand,  believed  Him  to  be  with  Mary.  Each 
journeyed  through  the  whole  length  of  the  day  happy 
with  the  thought  of  meeting  Him  at  night,  when  prepar¬ 
ing  to  make  their  encampment  in  the  tents.  How  aston¬ 
ished,  then,  and  alarmed  they  must  have  been  at  not 
finding  Him  at  the  expected  time  and  place  !  On  meeting 
each  other,  they  eagerly  asked,  “  Where  is  Jesus  ?  ” 
on  discovering  their  mistake,  they  reproached  themselves, 
but  not  each  other,  with  their  unpardonable  negligence  in 
having  thus  lost  sight  of  their  beloved  Child.  The  even¬ 
ing  was  now  far  advanced,  and  the  holy  couple  were  tired 
and  hungry  after  their  exhausting  day’s  travel.  But 
neither  food  nor  rest  was  to  be  thought  of.  From  door 
to  door,  from  tent  to  tent,  from  neighbor  to  neighbor  the 


246  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

afflicted  pair  hurried  to  and  fro  in  anxious  search  of  Him 
whom  their  souls  loved.  But  all  in  vain.  Then  they 
made  a  few  hasty  preparations  and  hurried  back  again  to 
Jerusalem.  Alas,  what  a  dreadfully  distracting  way  of 
the  cross  for  the  distressed  Mother  during  that  whole  long 
night !  The  most  dismal  visions  rose  up  before  her  imag¬ 
ination  and  well-nigh  crushed  her  bleeding  heart.  Per¬ 
haps,  thought  she,  the  successor  of  Herod,  or  some  of  his 
officers,  have  at  last  discovered  her  child  to  be  the  new 
King  of  the  Jews  for  whom  they  have  been  so  long  on  the 
watch,  and  have  cruelly  murdered  Him.  Add  to  that  her 
self-reproach  that  it  was  through  her  own  fault  that  her 
Son  and  God  had  been  lost  and  perhaps  put  to  death. 
Oh  !  the  flight  into  Egypt  was  a  triumphal  procession  com* 
pared  to  this  day’s  journey.  Then  she  could  press  the  Lord 
of  heaven  and  earth  to  her  bosom.  The  excess  of  her 
present  love  for  her  divine  Son  was  equalled  now  by  her 
grief  at  His  loss.  How  intensely  she  loved  Jesus  !  What 
excellent  grounds  she  had  for  loving  Him,  and  yet  now  He 
was  lost  to  her  and  to  St.  Joseph. 

THE  THIRD  THRUST  OF  THE  SWORD  IN  THE  MOTHER’S 

HEART. 

> 

Towards  morning  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  her  spouse, 
weary  and  hungry,  arrived  in  Jerusalem.  But  love  for 
Jesus  and  anxiety  in  His  regard  left  in  her  breast  no  place 
for  peace.  She  hastened  to  the  house  in  which  they  had 
lodged  during  the  late  festival  days.  No  tidings  here. 
She  went  to  all  her  acquaintances  and  relatives  in  every 
part  of  Jerusalem,  but  found  no  tidings  of  her  lost  Son. 
She  even  inquired  of  strangers  on  the  street :  no  tidings. 
The  stolid  indifference  and  coldness,  even  rudeness,  of 
some  who,  without  condescending  to  stop  for  a  moment, 
gave  her  for  answer  an  impatient  “  No,”  and  then  hurried 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


DEATH  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN 


Jesus  is  Found  in  the  Temple. 


24  7 


on,  wrung  her  very  heart.  Some  few  vouchsafed  to  bestow 
a  passing  look  of  compassion  on  the  distracted  young 
mother,  but  no  one  offered  to  assist  her  in  her  search. 
“  Alas  !  ”  said  she  to  herself,  “  if  these  people  knew  who 
He  is  that  I  am  seeking  all  Jerusalem  would  soon  be 
astir  to  join  in  the  search,  and  would  not  be  quieted  till 
we  had  found  Him  and  carried  Him  in  solemn  procession 
to  the  Temple,  thereto  proclaim  Him  as  the  veritable  and 
accepted  and  acknowledged  Messias  and  Saviour  of  our 
people.” 

Three  long  days  did  Mary  pass  in  this  dreadful  state 
of  wild  anxiety,  almost  dead  with  fear  and  exhaustion. 
These  three  days  constitute  the  third  dolor  of  the  Mother 
of  God.  And  where  was  Jesus  during  these  days,  and 
how  was  He  occupied  ? 

The  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  which  was  the  only  national 
sanctuary  of  the  Jews,  contained  within  its  precincts 
several  buildings,  courts,  and  halls.  In  one  of  these  side- 
halls,  the  Sanhedrim  held  its  sessions.  It  was  composed 
of  all  the  scribes,  who  met  to  expound  the  Jewish  Law  and 
to  solve  disputed  questions.  These  meetings  were  open 
to  all.  Next  to  the  seats  of  the  elders  were  ranged  the 
seats  for  the  learned  ones  of  the  land,  and  for  the  young 
men  ;  while  the  inquiring  and  eager  public  stood  about 
in  groups.  Jesus,  the  Eternal  Wisdom,  had  taken  His 
place  among  the  learned,  who  were  entitled  to  propose 
questions  to  those  versed  in  Scripture. 

May  we  venture  to  ask  why  Jesus,  when  only  a  boy 
of  twelve  years,  was  pleased  to  place  Himself  between  the 
learned  scribes  and  the  people  ?  Christian  reader,  Jeru¬ 
salem’s  sanctuary  was  the  place,  above  all  others,  where 
every  genuine  and  sincere  Hebrew  heart  bounded  for 
joy  and  holy  pride.  No  other  people  in  the  world  had 
such  a  glorious  temple,  much  less  a  temple  where  the 
Almighty  God  was  so  near  to  every  humble  worshipper 


248  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

Jesus  Christ  was  not  only  a  true  Israelite  but  also  the  Son 
of  God,  and  as  He  took  His  place  among  these  doctors, 
His  heart  burned  with  enthusiasm  and  grace.  He  felt  that 
He  was  in  His  Father’s  house,  He  sympathized  and  took 
part  in  all  the  passing  human  events,  He  wished  and  felt 
no  other  motive  than  the  sacred  nearness  of  His  Father, 
and  His  own  sublime  duty,  which  He  had  been  commis¬ 
sioned  by  that  Father  to  discharge  on  earth.  Already  had 
a  gleam  of  His  divinity  appeared  more  than  once  among 
men :  at  the  adoration  of  the  shepherds  on  Christmas 
morn,  at  the  mysterious  coming  of  the  three  Wise  Men  from 
the  East.  At  His  presentation  in  the  Temple,  the  pro¬ 
phetic  sayings  of  Simeon  and  Anna  had  called  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  the  contemporaries  of  Christ  to  the  “  unknown 
God  ”  who  was  dwelling  in  their  midst.  But  they  had 
eyes  and  saw  not,  they  had  ears  and  heard  not.  Hence, 
the  Redeemer  Himself  came  publicly  among  them,  and 
spoke  of  the  expected  coming  of  the  Messias  with  such 
heavenly  wisdom  that  “  all  who  heard  Him  were  aston¬ 
ished  at  His  wisdom  and  His  answers.”  (Luke  ii.  47.) 

THE  FINDING. 

By  degrees  the  news  spread  all  over  the  city  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  that  an  unknown  youth  of  marvellous  beauty  and 
knowledge  had  appeared  in  the  lecture  hall  of  the  San¬ 
hedrin,  and  by  the  depth  of  His  questions  and  answers 
was  perplexing  even  the  renowned  master  and  doctor 
Hillel,  and  filling  the  whole  assembly  with  amazement. 
This  news  finally  reached  the  ears  of  His  Mother,  who, 
though  fast  losing  all  hope,  was  still  persistent  in  her 
search.  At  once  an  inward  voice  explained  to  her  who 
this  strange,  beautiful,  and  learned  boy  must  be.  With 
St.  Joseph  she  hastened  to  the  Temple.  Dear  Christian 
reader,  ask  me  not  to  describe  the  scene  presented  at  this 


Jesus  is  Found  i?i  the  Temple. 


249 


rapturous  meeting.  Even  the  holy  Evangelist  St.  Luke 
shows  a  desire  to  avoid  intentionally  the  detailed  descrip¬ 
tion  of  this  finding,  for  he  describes  the  sad  desolation 
during  the  three  days’  search,  and  the  transports  of  the  re¬ 
covery  with  remarkable  brevity  in  the  following  simple 
narrative  : 

“  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  after  three  days  they  found 
Him  in  the  Temple  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors,  hear¬ 
ing  them  and  asking  them  questions.  And  all  that  heard 
Him  were  astonished  at  His  wisdom  and  His  answers. 
And  seeing  Him,  they  wondered.  And  His  Mother  said  to 
Him  :  Son,  why  hast  Thou  done  so  to  us  ?  behold  Thy 
father  and  I  have  sought  Thee  sorrowing.  And  He  said 
to  them :  How  is  it  that  you  sought  Me  ?  did  you  not 
know,  that  I  must  be  about  My  Father’s  business  ?  But 
they  understood  not  the  word  that  He  said  to  them.” 
(Luke  ii.  46-50.) 

Beloved  and  sorrowing  Mother  !  now  that  thy  grief  has 
been  converted  into  a  thrilling  joy,  permit  me  to  express 
to  thee  my  sympathizing  joy,  to  congratulate  thee  on 
having  found  thy  Son  and  Saviour.  Ah,  what  a  deep 
sympathy  I  felt  for  thee  on  account  of  thy  great  loss ! 
What  joyful  sentiments  I  now  experience  when  thou  hast 
found  and  recovered  Him !  Now  dost  thou  love  thy  Son 
so  much  the  more  ardently,  by  reason  of  this  occurrence. 
But  dear,  kind  Mother,  dost  thou  not  see  that  I  am  wan¬ 
dering,  and  am  in  great  danger  of  being  forever  lost  ?  I 
beg  of  thee  to  come  in  search  of  me,  to  seek  me  with 
pain,  to  offer  up  to  the  heavenly  Father  for  me  and  for 
all  stray  sheep,  thy  distress  and  thy  labors  during  those 
three  painful  days.  Offer  up,  too,  thy  present  motherly 
delight  at  the  finding,  in  order  that  we  all,  lost  children 
that  we  are,  may  return  to  thee  in  safety :  that  thou  also 
mayest  love  us  still  more  fervently  for  having  been  lost 
and  for  now  being  found,  and  mayest  more  powerfully 


250  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 

protect  us ;  while  we  may  hope  to  meet  each  other  in  the 
never-ending  joys  of  heaven. 

Christian  reader,  ponder  well  and  study  closely  the 
maternal  tenderness  and  solicitude  implied  in  the  eager 
question  of  Mary  to  her  divine  Son,  and  the  divine 
mystery  implied  in  His  remarkable  answer :  “  Son,  why 
hast  thou  done  so  to  us?”  The  modest  and  prudent 
Virgin  does  not  reproach  her  Son  for  having  caused  her 
bitter  pain  and  dreadful  anxiety.  But  she  cannot  under¬ 
stand  why  He,  who  had  hitherto  been  all  affection,  all 
obedience,  who  had  shown  Himself  to  be  the  veritable 
child  of  Mary  and  Joseph,  had  now,  so  unexpectedly  and 
in  this  extraordinary  manner,  shown  Himself  as  the  Son 
of  God  and  as  a  teacher  in  Israel  without  having  first 
notified  His  earthly  parents.  She  could  not  understand 
this  apparent  neglect  and  forgetfulness  of  herself  and  St. 
Joseph.  Christian  reader,  how  often  does  the  Holy 
Family,  through  its  boundless  and  endless  patience,  ad¬ 
dress  to  you  the  question  :  “  Son,  why  hast  thou  done  so 
to  us  ?  Have  we  deserved  such  coldness,  such  dis¬ 
loyalty  from  thee  ?  ” 

“  Behold  Thy  father  and  I  have  sought  Thee  sorrowing.” 
What  a  touching  manifestation  of  deep  reverential  love  ! 
Oh,  how  willingly  Jesus  permits  Himself  to  be  sought  out 
by  us,  even  though  we  have  to  seek  Him  “  sorrowing  ”  ! 
How  often  He  hides  Himself  from  our  view ;  concealing 
from  us  His  graces,  His  consolations,  and  His  peace  ; 
though  only  apparently,  and  for  the  purpose  of  making 
us  seek  Him  more  ardently  because  of  our  very  desolation. 
Christian  reader,  if  in  the  course  of  a  life  of  duty  and 
grace  and  favor,  you  find  yourself  overtaken  by  discour¬ 
agement,  spiritual  darkness,  anxiety  of  soul,  weakness  of 
faith,  hard  struggles  of  soul  and  spiritual  desolation,  do 
not  despond ;  Jesus  is  hiding  Himself  from  you  for  a 
time,  in  order  that  you  may  seek  Him.  Seek  Him,  there- 


Jesus  is  Found  in  the  Temple. 


251 


fore,  humbly,  perseveringly,  hopefully,  and  with  a  spirit 
of  self-sacrifice.  He  will  permit  you  to  find  Him,  for  He 
has  promised  in  the  words  of  the  Prophet  Isaias :  “  Be¬ 
fore  they  call,  I  will  hear :  as  they  are  yet  speaking,  I 
will  hear.”  (Is.  lxv.  24.) 

IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  TEMPLE. 

“  Did  you  not  know,  that  I  must  be  about  My  Father’s 
business  ?  ”  It  is  thus  that  we  are  able  to  recognize  the 
Son  of  God,  the  Son  of  Mary ;  namely,  by  finding  Him 
taking  up  His  abode  in  the  House  of  God,  and  by  per¬ 
mitting  Himself  to  be  found  there.  And  you,  Christian 
reader,  where  is  your  favorite  dwelling-place  ?  Where  do 
you  love  to  linger,  at  least  in  thought  and  desire  if  you 
cannot  be  there  in  person  ?  Do  you  not  find  one  short 
half-hour  too  long  and  too  tedious  when  assisting  at  holy 
Mass  ?  Do  you  not  find  it  irksome  to  make  a  short  visit 
to  some  hallowed  shrine  in  your  church,  or  even  to  the 
Most  Adorable  Sacrament  ?  while,  on  the  contrary,  your 
hours  pass  by  too  swiftly  when  at  the  gaming-table,  in 
the  drinking-saloon,  over  the  trashy  novel,  or  during  an 
idle  and  useless  visit  ? 

For  you  especially,  Christian  parents,  in  this  pilgrimage 
of  Jesus,  the  Child  of  twelve  years,  and  also  His  mysterious 
disappearance  for  three  days,  there  is  a  subject  full  of 
useful  instruction.  The  pilgrimage  warns  you  that  it  is 
your  duty  to  take  your  children  with  you  to  the  house  of 
God,  and  to  explain  to  them,  as  soon  as  their  under¬ 
standing  will  allow,  the  sacred  mysteries  of  their  religion, 
the  meaning  of  the  ceremonies,  the  solemn  and  sanctify¬ 
ing  nature  of  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  the 
sacraments. 

The  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  Child  Jesus  be¬ 
speaks  to  you  increased  watchfulness  and  solicitude  about 


252  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

) 

your  children — their  souls,  and  their  innocence.  Alas, 
Christian  parents,  how  many  children  are  lost  just  about 
the  age  of  twelve  years  !  and  lost  through  the  fault  of 
negligent  parents.  It  is  at  about  the  age  of  twelve  or 
thirteen  that  the  inclination  to  sensuality  begins  to 
awaken.  About  that  age,  a  yearning  for  freedom  and  a 
hankering  after  pleasure  spring  up  in  the  child’s  heart. 
Happy  the  child  who,  during  this  perilous  period,  is  safe 
under  the  guardianship  of  pious  parents,  and  who  kneels 
by  their  side  in  prayer  in  the  Christian  temple. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

JESUS  IS  SUBJECT  TO  HIS  PARENTS. 

HOLY  OBEDIENCE. 

“  A  ND  Jesus,  when  He  was  twelve  years  old,  went  down 
fi  with  them,  and  came  to  Nazareth;  and  was  sub¬ 
ject  to  them.  And  His  Mother  kept  all  these  words  in 
her  heart.  And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom,  and  age,  and 
grace  with  God  and  men.”  (Luke  ii.  51,  52.)  These 
few  and  simple  words  of  St.  Luke  contain  the  whole 
history  of  Jesus  and  Mary  during  a  period  of  full  eighteen 
years.  Yet  in  these  same  simple  words  we  find  a  com¬ 
plete  and  sublime  picture  of  happy,  holy,  Christian  family 
life. 

I  have  previously  mentioned  that  according  to  the 
Jewish  law,  every  Hebrew  boy,  as  soon  as  he  had  com¬ 
pleted  his  twelfth  year,  was  considered  as  of  age,  and  to 
a  certain  extent  removed  from  the  supervision  of  his 
parents.  But  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth, 
subjected  Himself  at  that  very  age,  and  for  many  years 


Jesus  is  Subject  to  His  Pare?its.  253 

afterwards,  in  a  special  manner,  to  the  will  of  those  whom 
He  had  chosen  as  His  superiors.  He  became  subject  to 
them  ;  that  is  to  say,  He  considered  Himself  as  more  lowly 
and  of  less  importance  and  dignity  than  Joseph  and 
Mary.  He  is  always  subject  to  them.  Oh,  consider, 
Christian  reader,  the  wprth  of  the  Lord’s  lowly  handmaid  ! 
Consider  the  holy  rivalry  and  struggle  with  which  they 
sought  to  wait  upon  each  other.  Consider  the  motherly 
love  and  pious  humility  with  which  Mary  protested  against 
being  served  by  her  Son,  who  was  her  God,  when  He 
would  insist  upon  bringing  wood  and  water  for  their 
simple  home  !  At  such  time,  the  Son  might  remind  the 
mother  of  the  nature  of  His  mission  to  earth,  saying,  as  He 
did  later  to  others,  “  The  Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  be 
ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  His  life  a 
redemption  for  many.”  (Matt.  xx.  28.) 

That  Jesus,  during  these  years  of  His  hidden  and  un¬ 
written  life,  actually  assisted  His  foster-father,  St.  Joseph, 
in  the  carpenter  trade  we  learn  from  an  express  state¬ 
ment  of  Holy  Scripture.  Once  during  His  public  life, 
when  Our  Lord  had  come  to  Nazareth,  He  went  into  the 
synagogue  to  preach  and  teach.  But  the  inhabitants  of 
that  town,  who  had  known  Him  in  His  boyhood,  refused 
to  listen  to  Him,  saying,  “  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the 
son  of  Mary.”  (Mark  vi.  3.) 

GROWTH  OF  JESUS. 

The  growth  of  Jesus  Christ  in  wisdom,  grace,  and  age 
was  a  mysterious  and  miraculous  manifestation  that  filled 
the  heart  of  His  ever-blessed  Mother  with  unspeakable 
admiration  and  heavenly  delight.  But  how  could  a  most 
perfect,  infinite,  incomprehensible  God  and  Saviour  be 
said  to  grow  in  wisdom  and  grace  ?  A  reasonable  ques¬ 
tion,  Christian  reader. 


254  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

We  know  that  our  divine  Saviour  united  within  Him¬ 
self  two  natures  in  one  person  :  the  divine  nature  and  the 
human  nature.  Hence,  in  speaking  of  Christ,  we  can 
predicate  of  Him  a  natural  and  a  supernatural  existence. 
As  God  He  could  not  increase  neither  in  grace  nor  in 
wisdom.  Nor  as  man  could  He  in  a  strict  sense  increase 
in  grace,  for  in  the  human  soul  of  Christ,  closely  united 
as  it  was  with  the  Godhead,  from  the  first  moment  of  its 
existence  there  dwelt  the  entire  fulness  and  completeness 
of  all  grace,  the  very  source  and  origin  of  grace.  But  this 
indwelling  fulness  and  perfection  of  graces  became  grad¬ 
ually  more  and  more  manifest  to  the  eyes  of  mortals  as  He 
advanced  in  age  and  bodily  strength.  Every  word  and  act 
of  His  became  more  and  more  edifying  as  He  progressed 
in  years.  Then,  in  regard  to  the  human  knowledge  of 
Christ,  the  doctors  of  the  Church  teach  that  it  was  three¬ 
fold.  The  first  kind  of  knowledge  is  that  which  He 
enjoyed  in  common  with  those  men  who  are  in  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  heavenly  happiness  and  glory  ;  namely,  those  who 
enjoy  the  beatific  vision  of  God.  The  second  kind  of 
knowledge  was  that  enjoyed  by  men  on  earth,  in  a  state 
of  innocence  or  sinlessness  ;  namely,  the  knowledge  of  all 
those  things  that  it  was  decreed  for  men  to  know,  more 
especially  a  deeply  penetrating  knowledge  of  that  nature 
over  which  man  was  to  reign  supreme.  Finally,  His  third 
kind  of  knowledge  was  that  which  He  possessed  in  com¬ 
mon  with  men  in  their  fallen  state,  namely,  the  acquired 
knowledge  of  varied  experience.  This  last  kind  of  knowl¬ 
edge,  and  only  this,  was  susceptible  of  increase  or  ad¬ 
vancement  in  Christ.  More  properly  speaking,  He  ac¬ 
quired  knowledge  or  wisdom  that  already  dwelt  within 
Him,  but  in  another  way  and  by  other  means  ;  namely,  by 
perception  and  exercise  of  his  bodily  faculties. 


Jesus  is  Subject  to  His  Pare?its.  255 

Mary’s  hidden  life. 

This  miraculous  union  of  the  divine  and  human  in 
Jesus,  and  His  daily  amiable  development  and  increase 
afforded  to  Mary  uninterrupted  subjects  for  ever-recur¬ 
ring  and  ever-continuing  wonder  and  admiration.  Do 
you  not  fondly  believe,  Christian  reader,  that  Mary  her¬ 
self,  by  virtue  of  this  unceasing  contemplation  ;  by  her  acts 
of  adoration,  of  service,  and  devotion,  and  by  prayer,  also 
grew  in  age,  wisdom,  and  grace  in  the  sight  of  God  and 
men  ? 

“  Mary  kept  all  these  words  in  her  heart/’  This  state¬ 
ment  of  the  holy  Evangelist  bears  chiefly  upon  the  answer 
given  to  Mary  by  her  Son  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem : 
“  Did  you  not  know  that  I  must  be  about  My  Father’s 
business  ?  ”  Certainly,  she  would  never  more  let  these 
words  depart  from  her  memory.  She  knew  indeed  the 
plan  of  Redemption,  at  least  in  its  chief  and  most  prom¬ 
inent  features.  She  knew  that  this  absence  of  three  days 
was  but  an  ominous  foreshadowing  of  another  and  more 
protracted  absence  of  her  beloved  Son  during  His  public 
ministry.  Perhaps,  even,  she  may  have  known  that  these 
three  dreadful  days  were  but  a  figure  of  those  other  three 
days,  the  three  last  days  of  suffering  week,  or  perhaps 
the  three  sad  and  lonely  days  to  be  passed  in  the  grave 
by  Jesus  after  death.  And  she  watched  and  saw  her 
beloved  Son  grow  up,  lovely  and  divine.  When  she 
would  contemplate  His  countenance,  and  give  way  to  her 
own  reflections,  high  above  the  sea  of  motherly  happiness 
inundating  her  grateful  soul  there  would  appear  slowly, 
but  with  dreadful  reality,  a  cross  dripping  with  blood 
standing  before  the  gaze  of  her  troubled  soul.  As  she 
kept  in  her  heart  every  word  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  her 
divine  Son,  so,  too,  did  she  keep  those  words  of  terror 
pronounced  by  the  prophet  Isaias  about  that  beloved 


256  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

Son  :  “  He  shall  grow  up  as  a  tender  plant,  and  as  a  root 
out  of  a  thirsty  ground;  there  is  no  beauty  in  Him,  nor 
comeliness ;  and  we  have  seen  Him,  and  there  was  no 
sightliness,  that  we  should  be  desirous  of  Him  ;  despised 
and  the  most  abject  of  men,  a  man  of  sorrows  and  ac¬ 
quainted  with  infirmity  (Is.  liii.  2,  3). 

THE  EARTHLY  TRINITY. 

Well-regulated  labor,  simple  habits  of  living,  mutual 
love  and  edification,  formed  the  basis  of  the  unbroken 
sacred  peace  that  reigned  in  the  home  of  Jesus,  Mary, 
and  Joseph  at  Nazareth.  While  St.  Joseph  and  his 
Foster-Son  were  in  the  workshop,  or  away  in  some  neigh¬ 
boring  village  at  labor,  the  blessed  Mother  remained 
faithfully  at  home,  busily  employed  keeping  everything 
in  good  order  and  cleanliness ;  or  else  busying  herself  in 
preparing  the  simple  but  tasty  and  wholesome  meals  for 
her  venerable  spouse  and  her  daily  growing  and  thriving 
Son.  To-day  is  pointed  out  to  the  traveller,  and  it  is 
held  in  deep  veneration,  the  very  fountain  from  which  the 
sublime  Mother  of  God  used  to  draw  water  for  her  house¬ 
hold,  unless,  indeed,  her  beloved  Son,  in  His  obedience 
and  humility,  performed  this  duty  Himself.  And,  oh,  how 
indescribably  pleasant  were  the  evenings  they  passed  to¬ 
gether  !  Having  finished  the  duties  of  the  day,  they 
seated  themselves  about  their  fireside,  and  amused  and 
instructed  each  other  in  pleasant,  useful  conversation, 
while  Mary  sat  busy  plying  her  spinning-wheel,  or  knitting, 
or  sewing.  It  would  be  difficult  to  discover  who  was  the 
chief  person  in  authority  and  dignity  in  this  little  com¬ 
munity.  The  highest  in  dignity  was  Jesus,  yet  He  was 
subject  to  His  parents.  St.  Joseph  was  the  head  of  the 
family,  but  as  he  was  not  the  father  of  Jesus,  he  was  sec¬ 
ond  to  Mary.  Hence  the  Blessed  Virgin  was,  as  it  were, 
the  heart  of  this  earthly  trinity. 


Jesus  is  Subject  to  His  Parents. 


257 


MIRROR  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  FAMILY. 

It  cannot  have  escaped  your  notice,  Christian  reader, 
that  the  peaceful,  God-pleasing  family  life  at  Nazareth 
becomes  for  you  a  veritable  mirror  and  model,  whether 
your  position  in  your  own  family  is  that  of  a  father,  of  a 
mother,  of  a  child,  or  even  of  a  servant.  In  either  case, 
you  will  find  in  the  Holy  Family  a  most  admirable  model, 
and  an  example  deserving  your  imitation  and  admiration. 

St.  Joseph  was  the  head  of  the  house.  Consider, 
Christian  father,  the  industry  of  St.  Joseph ;  contemplate 
the  work  of  his  busy  hands,  a  work  sanctified  by  prayer 
and  good  intentions.  How  fond  he  is  of  his  little  home  ! 
Not  in  idle,  noisy  dissipation  does  he  find  enjoyment,  but 
at  home  in  the  midst  of  his  own  circle  does  he  seek  and 
find  true  peace  and  happiness.  Consider  his  contented 
modesty.  To  be  a  poor  tradesman  and  to  be  known 
as  such  does  not  disturb  his  peace  of  soul.  He  knows 
not  how  to  pine  after  privileges  and  needs  that  are  above 
the  condition  assigned  to  him  by  God.  Consider  his 
good  example,  and  how  eagerly  zealous  he  is  to  exhibit 
such  good  example  to  the  members  of  his  family,  as  well 
as  to  his  friends  and  neighbors  in  Nazareth.  By  good  ex¬ 
ample  he  finds  that  he  can  keep  his  place  as  head  of  a 
family  better  than  by  despotic  commands  and  regulations. 
Holy  patron  St.  Joseph,  foster-father  of  Our  Saviour,  con¬ 
tinue  to  infuse  into  the  hearts  of  all  Christian  fathers  the 
same  noble  and  God-pleasing  spirit  that  pervades  thy 
own  peaceful  life  at  Nazareth. 

Mary  was  the  mother  in  the  home  at  Nazareth.  Can 
it  be  possible  that  there  exists  any  mother  of  a  Christian 
family  who  does  not  venerate  in  a  special  manner  the 
ever-blessed  Virgin,  or  who  does  not  take  her  and  imi¬ 
tate  her  as  an  amiable  and  glorious  model.  Consider, 
Christian  mother,  this  virgin  Mother  in  her  life  of  love, 


258  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

of  work,  of  good  deeds,  of  piety.  Consider  her  in  her 
love.  It  is  necessary  for  a  woman  to  love.  Love  then 
your  family.  Sweeten  with  gentle  love  the  important 
duties  and  hard  work  of  your  husband.  By  the  exercise 
of  love,  bring  up  your  children  to  be  good  men  and 
women. 

Consider  the  virgin  Mother  in  her  life  of  labor.  She 
herself  looks  after  her  housekeeping  ;  she  herself  makes 
the  garments  needed  by  St.  Joseph  and  her  divine  Child 
Jesus.  Hard  work  with  quiet  meditation  was  her  only 
recreation,  her  only  enjoyment.  Therefore,  do  not  con¬ 
sider  that  your  domestic  cares  and  duties  are  too  heavy 
and  laborious  for  you.  Embrace  and  discharge  them  out 
of  love  for  God,  and  He  will  help  you  to  bear  them  and 
discharge  them.  Attend  to  your  business  with  a  quiet 
cheerfulness,  and  not  with  murmur  or  complaint,  which 
latter  will  deprive  yourself  of  all  merit,  and  those  around 
you  of  all  happiness.  Do  not  seek  your  happiness  and 
your  recreation  away  from  your  family  and  in  doubtful 
public  places.  At  the  domestic  fireside,  in  the  midst  of 
your  own  little  flock,  there  you  are  to  look  for  happiness. 
If  you  find  it  not  there,  you  will  seek  it  in  vain  in  the  outer 
world. 

Consider  Mary  in  her  life  of  good  deeds.  Though  the 
Mother  of  God  was  poor,  yet  she  did  much  for  the  poor 
and  wretched.  Though  she  had  not  worldly  goods,  she 
had  love  and  compassion  for  the  poor,  and  found  time  to 
help  them.  Great  and  widespread  is  the  misery  in  the 
world,  but  glorious  and  countless  are  the  apostles  of  the 
poor  and  neglected.  Christian  mothers,  endeavor  to  be¬ 
come  such  apostles.  Though  gold  and  silver  be  not  at 
your  disposal  for  this  purpose,  still  an  inexhaustible 
wealth  of  love,  sympathy,  and  time  is  at  your  disposal,  to 
be  applied  by  you  with  tender  heart  and  gentle  hand  for 
the  suffering  darlings  of  God. 


/ 


259 


Jesus  is  Subject  to  His  Parents. 

Consider  Mary  in  her  life  of  piety.  Love,  labor,  benev¬ 
olence  !  What  are  these  but  a  sounding  brass  and  tink¬ 
ling  cymbal,  if  the  genuine  ring  of  the  veritable  union  with 
God  be  not  added  thereto  !  Piety  was  the  very  sunlight 
that  penetrated  and  lit  up  Mary’s  solitude.  It  was  as 
incense  from  heaven,  descending  upon  her  and  filling  her 
soul  with  fragrance.  There  is  a  proverb,  Christian  mother, 
which  says :  “  As  the  mother,  so  the  family.”  What  is 
the  state  of  a  family  if  devoid  of  religious  belief,  of  trust¬ 
ing  hope,  or  of  childlike  love  for  God  ?  Therefore, 
sanctify  your  daily  duties  by  prayer,  frequent  the  house  of 
God,  approach  the  holy-communion  table,  kneel  before 
the  image  of  the  model  wife  and  mother,  the  ever-blessed 
Virgin. 

O  beloved  Mother  of  God,  awake  and  develop  within 
the  hearts  of  all  Christian  mothers  those  glorious  virtues 
that  were  the  ever-enduring  ornaments  of  thy  own  virgin 
soul  and  the  honor  of  thy  hidden  life  :  that  thus  the 
kingdom  of  God  may  be  set  up  in  our  families  to  grow 
and  flourish  ;  and  that  grace  and  peace  may  prevail  amid 
our  trials  and  tribulations  while  journeying  through  this 
vale  of  tears. 

Jesus  Christ  is  the  Model  of  those  who  are  subject 
to  obedience.  Christian  sons  and  daughters,  you  espe¬ 
cially  would  I  gladly  lead  into  the  bosom  of  the  Holy 
Family  at  Nazareth.  There,  in  that  very  sanctuary  of 
piety  and  peace,  would  I  reverently  introduce  you  to  your 
adorable  Model.  Look  lovingly  upon  the  obedient  Jesus. 
He  is  very  God,  yet  is  subject,  till  his  thirtieth  year,  to 
His  own  creatures  ;  while  you  foolishly  think  that  because 
you  have  laid  aside  baby  clothes  and  have  left  school,  you 
ought  to  be  free  and  independent  of  all  restraint ;  there¬ 
by  breaking  your  parents’  hearts  and  working  your  own 
destruction.  Look  at  the  humble  Jesus.  A  grand  and 
sublime  mission  He  has  to  fulfil  on  earth  !  How  neces- 


260  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

sary  then  for  Him,  according  to  our  intelligent  estimation, 
to  go  forth  into  public  life,  in  order  to  learn  among  men, 
how  to  teach,  how  to  heal,  how  to  comfort,  console,  and 
strengthen  His  fellow-beings.  Yet,  instead  of  doing  this, 
He  shuts  Himself  up  in  the  shop  of  a  carpenter.  You,  on 
the  contrary,  often  plan  out,  with  great  complacency  and 
self-satisfaction,  grand  schemes  for  your  future.  Your 
father’s  house  is  too  contracted,  your  condition  in  life  is 
too  humble,  your  father’s  manner  of  life  and  mode  of 
business  are  too  old-fashioned  for  your  taste.  Do  not 
deceive  yourselves,  Christian  sons  and  daughters.  Do 
not  disturb  and  destroy  the  happiness  you  enjoy  in  your 
father’s  house,  at  least  till  you  be  able  to  provide  another 
home  for  yourself.  Look  again  at  the  innocent  Jesus. 
O  happy  the  youth,  happy  the  maiden,  who  knows  how  to 
preserve  their  innocent  souls  beneath  the  shelter  of  the 
safe  and  honest  roof-tree  of  a  true  and  honest  and  virtu¬ 
ous  father  and  mother.  Thrice  happy  are  those  who  in 
after  years  can  look  back  upon  a  life  of  innocence,  upon 
a  youth  of  untarnished  virtue. 

Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph  are  models  for  us  all  in  every 
condition  of  life.  If  in  the  inner  life  of  our  souls,  and  in 
the  outer  life  of  duty,  the  shadow  of  the  cross  falls 
athwart  our  path,  let  us  not  cease  to  look  upon  these  sub¬ 
lime  models.  How  often  we  permit  ourselves  to  grow 
weary  and  careless  in  the  work  of  our  soul’s  sanctification, 
or  to  become  too  anxious,  all  through  the  erroneous  idea, 
that  it  is  only  by  extraordinary  paths  that  we  can  reach 
heaven.  In  the  Holy  Family  at  Nazareth,  we  find  the 
most  ordinary  and  humble  life ;  refined,  elevated,  sancti¬ 
fied,  and  spiritualized  by  a  most  ardent  love  for  God. 
Here,  too,  we  discover  the  most  heroic  virtues  in  the 
humblest  walks  of  life,  and  see  them  elevated  and  strength¬ 
ened  by  heroic  sacrifice.  Christian  reader,  implore  this 
loving,  peaceful  Holy  Family  at  Nazareth  to  accept  you 


,57.  Joseph's  Happy  Death. 


261 


1 


as  one  of  its  members,  to  share  with  you  its  boundless 
merits  and  graces,  and  also  to  be  near  you  at  the  hour  of 
your  death  to  comfort  you,  to  strengthen  you,  and  to  ac¬ 
company  you  to  the  judgment-seat  of  the  most  high  Judge. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

ST.  JOSEPH’S  HAPPY  DEATH.— HIS  GLORIOUS  ENTRY 

INTO  HEAVEN. 


A  HAPPY  DEATH, 


O  the  unspeakable  joy  of  His  holy  Mother  and  of  His 


1  virtuous  foster-father,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  had 
emerged  from  childhood  and  now  stood  before  their 
fond,  admiring  gaze  a  full-grown  young  man.  At  the 
same  time  and  in  the  same  degree  did  the  venerable  St. 
Joseph  advance  in  perfection  of  soul,  while  his  body 
began  to  give  way  beneath  the  burden  of  his  years.  An 
internal  voice,  perhaps  the  voice  of  His  visible  Foster-Son, 
warned  him  of  his  approaching  end.  He  had  in  truth 
completed  his  mission  on  earth,  and  faithfully  discharged 
its  high  and  arduous  duties. 

Never,  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  down  to  our 
day,  did  mortal  man  die  amid  such  holy  surroundings  as 
those  attending  the  death-bed  of  St.  Joseph.  He  drew 
his  last  breath  while  reclining  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus, 
with  his  venerable  head  supported  by  the  pure  hand  of 
his  chaste  spouse  Mary.  It  was  his  unheard-of  privilege 
to  yield  up  his  pure  soul  directly  and  immediately  into 
the  hands  of  his  God,  his  Son,  and  his  Judge,  and  to  hear 
immediately  and  directly  from  His  divine  lips  the  assur¬ 
ance  of  eternal  recompense. 


262  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

The  place  where  St.  Joseph  died  is  not  expressly  men- 
tioned  in  Scripture.  A  time-honored  tradition  assures  us 
that  his  grave  was  venerated  for  centuries  in  the  Valley  of 
Josaphat,  not  far  from  the  tomb  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary.  Hence,  some  persons  conclude  that  he  must  have 
died  when  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem;  for  it  would 
otherwise  be  hard  to  understand  how  his  remains  could 
have  been  transported  from  Nazareth  to  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  of  Jerusalem.  Concerning  his  last  hours  no  in¬ 
formation  has  been  afforded  to  us  by  any  contemporary 
writer.  But  one  thing  is  certainly  true,  namely,  that  St. 
Joseph  enjoyed,  in  the  presence  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  an 
unspeakably  happy  and  peaceful  death. 

St.  Joseph  died  thus  peacefully  because  his  whole  life 
had  been  so  well  regulated,  and  so  directed  according  to 
the  law  of  God.  Satisfied  with  whatever  God  was  pleased 
to  send  to  him,  he  had  lived  with  and  for  God,  with  and 
for  his  divine  Son.  Pain,  suffering,  exile,  and  other 
dangers  and  afflictions  were  cheerfully  borne  by  him  for 
the  sake  of  Jesus.  With  his  own  hand  He  had  served  Him. 
To  maintain  Him  he  had  worn  out  his  physical  energies 
in  hard  labor ;  for  Jesus  and  Mary  he  gave  his  whole  life. 
What  a  comfort  for  St.  Joseph’s  soul  when  leaving  his 
body ! — this  conviction  of  having  faithfully  discharged 
every  duty  of  his  high  calling.  How  zealously,  too,  he 
had  made  use  of  every  grace  that  resulted  from  this  in¬ 
timate  union  of  his  soul  with  that  of  the  divine  Jesus  ! 

In  years  long  past,  this  silent  but  earnest  man  had 
lavished  care  and  tenderness  and  protection  on  Mother 
and  Child.  Now,  at  the  solemn  hour  of  his  death,  this 
same  Mother  and  Son  reward  him  by  their  blessed  and 
happy  presence.  Then  could  Joseph  see,  though  he 
knew  it  long  before,  why  Mary’s  devotion  was  multiplied 
in  acts  of  kindness  and  encouragement ;  how  her  virginal 
hand  wiped  the  cold  death-sweat  from  his  pallid  brow. 


St.  Joseph's  Happy  Death. 


263 


In  all  the  grandeur  of  God’s  dignity  and  majesty,  though 
hidden  under  a  human  veil,  stood  Jesus  at  that  same 
death-bed  of  His  expiring  guardian  and  defender.  As  He 
prayed  to  His  heavenly  Father,  each  syllable  of  His  al¬ 
mighty  word  sank  deep  and  with  divine  power  into  the  soul 
of  the  dying  patriarch.  Every  taint  of  this  earth’s  dust 
that  lingered  in  St.  Joseph’s  soul  vanished,  and  that  pure 
and  purified  spirit  awaited  its  speedy  and  happy  deliver¬ 
ance  from  the  prison  house  of  the  body. 

It  makes  a  great  difference  whether  a  man  dies  be¬ 
cause  he  must,  and  thus  with  effort  and  pain  so  far 
resigns  himself  to  the  will  of  God,  as  not  to  be  expressly 
opposed  to  the  divine  decree  ;  or  whether,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  meets  death  cheerfully  and  with  gladsome  sub¬ 
mission  to  the  will  of  God.  Thrice  happy  are  those 
chosen  souls  in  whom  love  for  God  is  so  intense  and 
boundless  that  they  can  greet  Death’s  coming  with  un¬ 
feigned  joy ;  who  can  look  upon  the  work  of  Death’s  un¬ 
sparing  hand  as  a  favor  from  on  high,  as  an  operation  of 
God’s  grace,  as  a  means  to  God’s  glory,  as  the  sacrifice  of 
the  body  that  the  spirit  may  live.  He  who  can  die  thus, 
is  able  to  transform  the  condemnatory  sentence  pro¬ 
nounced  upon  sin  into  a  work  of  love,  and  raises  himself 
out  of  the  bitterness  of  death  to  that  heroism  for  the  final 
sacrifice  that  leads  to  eternal  glory. 

Thus  Joseph,  the  just  man,  died  the  sweet  and  consol¬ 
ing  death  of  the  righteous. 

A  pang  of  unspeakable  grief  pierced  the  soul  of  Mary 
at  the  moment  of  St.  Joseph’s  death.  Not  that  she  gave 
herself  up  to  useless  repining,  she  who  was  so  perfectly  con¬ 
formed  to  God’s  will,  that  she  uttered  not  a  sigh  when  the 
predicted  sword  of  holy  Simeon  afterwards  pierced  her 
heart  beneath  the  cross  on  Calvary,  but  she  knew  at 
least  that  her  divine  Son  would  soon  leave  her,  to  enter 
upon  his  public  life  as  Teacher  and  Saviour.  She  knew 


0 

264  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

that  she  would  have  to  pass  the  remainder  of  her  days  in 
loneliness.  She  well  knew  that  the  tragic  drama  of 
Calvary  was  yet  to  be  enacted  before  her  eyes,  and  there¬ 
fore  she  congratulated  her  chaste  and  gentle  spouse  on 
his  happiness  in  leaving  this  world  ere  that  awful  tragedy 
could  take  place. 

In  the  quiet  cot  at  Nazareth,  St.  Joseph’s  death  brought 
about  no  important  change,  save  that  the  tender  relations 
between  Mother  and  Son  were  rendered  more  close  and 
intimate.  Mary  now  became  both  mother  and  father  to 
her  Son  and  Saviour ;  while  He,  on  the  other  hand,  became 
to  his  Mother,  Son  and  Protector. 

Here,  Christian  reader,  you  may  see  death — under 
other  circumstances  so  full  of  horror — here  you  may  see 
it  shorn  of  all  its  terrors,  and  presented  in  its  most  ami¬ 
able  aspect.  But  this  glorious  death  of  St.  Joseph  was 
only  the  close,  the  crowning,  of  a  life  of  self-denial,  of  a 
life  of  resignation  to  God’s  will,  of  a  life  full  of  trial  and 
tribulation.  If  you  wish  to  have  a  peaceful,  happy  de¬ 
parture  from  life,  your  life  itself  must  first  resemble  St. 
Joseph’s  life  in  fidelity  to  your  calling,  in  confidence  in 
God,  and  in  quiet,  persevering  patience. 

To  thee,  O  glorious  foster-father  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  ex¬ 
press  my  sincere  joy  because  of  thy  high  favors  and  priv¬ 
ileges  both  in  life  and  in  death.  Saintly  and  beloved 
patron,  it  was  but  right  and  proper,  and  due  to  thy  virtues, 
that  a  happy  death  should  be  vouchsafed  to  thee  by  a 
just  and  merciful  God.  For  to  Him  and  to  His  service 
had  thy  whole  life  been  silently  though  effectually  conse¬ 
crated.  I,  alas !  for  my  part,  can  justly  expect  a  hard 
struggle  at  the  hour  of  my  death,  for  I  have  deserved  it 
by  my  ill-spent  life.  But  if  thou  be  near  me  at  that  awful 
moment,  I  shall  not  perish.  Thou  art  not  only  a  dear 
friend  of  my  future  Judge,  but  thou  hast  been  also  His 
foster-father  and  protector.  If  thou  commend  me  to 


St.  Joseph's  Happy  Death . 


265 


Jesus,  He  cannot  condemn  me.  Chaste  spouse  of  my  sub¬ 
lime  Patroness,  next  to  Mary  I  choose  thee  for  my  special 
patron  and  advocate.  I  promise  thee  sincerely  that  for 
the  rest  of  my  days  I  will  venerate  thee  and  serve  thee 
with  the  most  ardent  devotion.  Though  I  do  not  deserve 
such  favor  at  thy  hands,  yet  I  implore  thee  to  accept  me, 
for  love  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  as  thy  constant  servant.  By 
virtue  of  that  inexpressibly  sublime  companionship  which 
thou  wast  permitted  to  enjoy  during  life  with  Jesus  and 
Mary,  I  beseech  thee  that  thou  would  so  protect  me  dur¬ 
ing  my  days  on  earth,  that  I  may  never  more  separate 
myself  from  God.  By  the  assistance  extended  to  thee  in 
the  hour  of  thy  death  by  Jesus  and  Mary,  I  implore  thee 
to  protect  and  defend  me,  especially  in  the  hour  of  my 
death,  that  even  in  death  I  may  be  surrounded  by  Jesus 
and  Mary  and  thee,  and  by  thee  and  Jesus  and  Mary  be 
admitted  into  heaven,  there  to  thank  thee,  and  in  thy 
company  to  praise  and  love  God  for  all  eternity.  Amen. 

st.  Joseph’s  welcome  among  the  souls  of  the  just 

IN  LIMBO. 

Glorious  and  happy  though  the  death  of  St.  Joseph 
was,  yet  the  gates  of  heaven  were  closed  against  him. 
Angels  conducted  his  soul  to  Limbo,  and  introduced  it  to 
the  throng  of  just  and  holy  spirits  of  the  Old  Law,  who 
were  patiently  and  cheerfully  awaiting  the  coming  of 
their  Deliverer.  Although  this  place  of  waiting  was  far 
from  being  like  heaven,  yet  it  was  a  place  of  rest  and  of 
bright  hope,  and  contained  the  noblest  and  most  highly 
favored  souls  that  ever  were  created.  A  bond  of  love 
and  common  hope  existed  among  its  inhabitants,  whose 
hearts  beat  high  in  expectation  of  speedy  deliverance. 

The  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  chaste  womb  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  His  grace-bringing  birth  in  the  stable 


266  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

at  Bethlehem,  were  miraculous  events,  some  rays  of  which 
must  have  penetrated  the  recesses  of  Limbo  with  their 
enlightening,  cheering,  and  warming  influences.  But  St. 
Joseph  came  as  a  very  special  messenger  of  glad  tidings, 
announcing  speedy  salvation  to  these  expectant  souls. 
Thrilled  with  holy  joy,  the  Fathers  of  the  olden  time  hast¬ 
ened  forward  to  greet  him.  Adam  came  with  Eve,  they 
who  had  first  received  the  promise  of  a  Saviour,  the  first 
sinners,  and  the  first  penitents.  Abraham  came,  the 
father  of  all  Israel ;  then  David  bows  down  before 
Joseph’s  greatness,  for  David’s  crown  fades  and  pales  be¬ 
fore  the  brilliant  crown  of  Christ’s  grace  worn  by  the  poor 
and  simple  Joseph.  All  uniting  about  this  welcome  mes¬ 
senger  from  Jesus,  they  pray  and  praise  God,  and  hope 
with  renewed  fervor  and  courage.  Their  joy  of  soul 
augments  as  Joseph  speaks.  For  who  among  all  the  saints 
that  were  sanctified  by  the  Old  Law  has  a  better  right  or 
more  unquestioned  authority  to  proclaim  the  love  of  the 
Saviour,  and  to  praise  the  grace  He  brings  to  all,  than 
that  simple  carpenter,  who  had  nursed  his  God  and  Sav¬ 
iour  as  a  little  child,  and  through  so  many  years  had 
gazed  with  eyes  of  body  and  of  soul  upon  His  humble 
greatness  and  His  great  humility. 

Thus  were  the  closing  years  of  imprisonment  undergone 
by  these  just  souls  rendered  sweet  and  glorious  by  the 
arrival  and  presence  of  St.  Joseph,  and  especially  by  the 
truthful  and  graphic  picture  that  he  could  give  of  their 
Redeemer  already  on  earth. 

Meanwhile  the  divine  Foster-Child  of  St.  Joseph  will  go 
about  doing  good,  through  the  plains  and  cities  of  Pales¬ 
tine,  awaiting  the  dawn  of  the  day  on  which  He  will  die  to 
redeem  mankind.  The  tree  of  the  cross  is  still  growing, 
fair  and  stately,  with  fresh  green  foliage,  but  it  will  soon 
be  cut  down,  and  the  hole  on  Calvary  will  soon  be  dug 
to  receive  its  second  planting  with  the  body  of  the  Sav- 


St.  Joseph's  Happy  Death. 


267 


iour  hanging  thereto.  And  when  the  foot  of  that  heavily 
laden  cross  shall  strike  the  rocky  bottom  of  the  socket 
prepared  for  it  a  holy  shudder  will  penetrate  and  per¬ 
vade  the  soul  of  the  just  and  holy  foster-father,  St.  Joseph, 
even  in  Limbo.  At  that  moment  a  mysterious  emotion 
shall  tell  him  that  the  divine  sacrifice  is  now  about  to  be 
consummated.  While  Israel  on  earth  shall  curse  its 
King,  St.  Joseph  in  Limbo  will  adore  his  Saviour  who  is 
at  this  moment  dying  to  atone  for  the  sins  of  all  men. 
Suddenly  the  earth  will  tremble,  the  rocks  will  be  rent 
asunder,  and  the  whole  of  creation  will  be  agitated  to  its 
very  depths.  Christ  shall  then  be  dying  on  the  cross. 
Then  will  the  gates  of  Limbo  be  thrown  wide  open,  and 
the  soul  of  the  Saviour  shall  descend  into  the  midst  of 
the  gladdened  Fathers  of  the  Old  Law. 

Holy  St.  Joseph,  what  transports  of  delight  will  thrill 
through  thy  soul  in  that  blissful  hour,  when  in  this  place, 
under  such  circumstances,  thou  shalt  meet  once  more 
thy  Son  and  thy  God !  What  happiness  for  thee  to 
introduce  to  Him  these  souls  of  the  ancient  just !  What 
will  be  thy  happiness  when,  in  the  midst  of  thy  admira¬ 
tion  and  wonder,  thou  wilt  for  the  first  time  behold  face 
to  face  the  adorable,  loving,  and  beloved  Soul  that  was 
united  with  the  Godhead  in  the  Second  Person  of  the 
Blessed  Trinity,  and  united  thus  for  all  eternity  !  All  full 
of  sentiments  of  gratitude  and  love,  thou  wilt  fall  down 
and  adore  this  divine-human  Soul,  thanking  it  for  the  vic¬ 
tory  which  in  union  with  its  sacrificed  and  wounded  body, 
it  shall  have  obtained  over  sin,  death,  and  hell.  But  at 
dawn  on  Easter  morning  the  soul  of  Jesus  will  reunite  it¬ 
self  to  the  adorable  body  in  the  sepulchre,  never  more  to 
know  separation.  Forty  days  have  yet  to  pass,  and  then 
St.  Joseph  shall  secure  for  all  eternity  his  holiest  and 
highest  reward — never-ending  heaven. 


268  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered, 

/ 

ST.  JOSEPH  IN  HEAVEN. 

The  glorious  entrance  of  St.  Joseph  into  the  happi¬ 
ness  of  heaven  was  indeed  worthy  of  the  foster-father  of 
Jesus  Christ.  It  was  his  happy  privilege  to  journey  to¬ 
wards  the  realms  of  bliss  in  company  with  his  beloved 
adopted  Son  and  Saviour,  and  attended  by  countless 
throngs  of  the  just  souls  who  had  been  in  Limbo.  What 
a  glorious  spectacle,  Christian  reader,  for  the  eyes  of  your 
soul  to  gaze  upon  !  Compare  this  triumphal  procession  of 
St.  Joseph  with  his  flight  into  Egypt  in  company  with  that 
same  Son  and  Saviour,  and  you  may  comprehend  this 
mysterious  change  and  transformation.  The  honorable 
society  of  Christ,  the  grand  and  joyous  company,  the  myr¬ 
iads  of  rejoicing  and  adoring  angels,  the  sweet-sounding 
chants  of  triumph  and  thanksgiving,  all  the  unspeakable 
pomp  and  heavenly  splendor  attending  the  ascension 
of  Christ  into  heaven,  were  shared  by  St.  Joseph  as,  side 
by  side  with  Christ,  he  was  borne  towards  the  celestial 
mansions.  Such  was  the  triumph  of  the  poor  carpenter 
of  Nazareth. 

The  heavenly  Father  received  St.  Joseph,  recognizing  in 
him  His  own  substitute  and  representative,  and  the  guard¬ 
ian  of  His  divine  Son  on  earth.  The  Son,  the  Second 
Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  led  him  into  the  abode  of 
happiness,  there  to  reward  him  forever  with  childlike 
gratitude  and  divine  prodigality  for  all  that  St.  Joseph 
had  done  on  earth  out  of  love  for  Him.  The  Holy  Ghost 
received  and  honored  Him  as  the  protector  and  faithful 
companion  on  earth  of  his  own  immaculate  bride.  The 
holy  angels  received  him  and  paid  him  homage  as  the 
worthy  spouse  of  their  future  queen,  and  thus  came  to 
regard  him  in  a  certain  sense  as  their  king. 

Glorious  St.  Joseph !  With  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  with  all  the  heavenly  hosts,  I  honor  and  glorify 


The  Blessed  Virgin  at  the  Wedding  in  Cana.  269 


thee  as  the  honored  foster-father  of  my  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ ;  as  the  truest,  humblest,  and  purest  spouse 
of  my  revered  Mother  and  Queen,  the  ever-blessed 
Mary  $  as  a  saint  endowed  with  the  most  brilliant  virtues 
and  rewarded  with  the  most  dazzling  splendor.  I 
rejoice,  I  congratulate  thee  fervently  and  heartily  on  the 
honor  and  the  glory  vouchsafed  to  thee  at  thy  entrance 
into  heaven,  at  the  glory  and  honor  that  thou  still  enjoy- 
est,  and  which  thou  wilt  enjoy  for  all  eternity.  I  thank 
thee  also,  from  my  heart  of  hearts,  for  all  the  love,  solici¬ 
tude,  fidelity,  and  care  that  thou  didst  exercise  towards 
Jesus  and  Mary.  I  thank  thee  for  all  the  pains,  trials,  and 
sacrifices  that  thou  didst  undergo  for  that  same  gracious 
Redeemer  and  His  ever-blessed  Mother  while  on  this  earth. 
And  as  these  holy  persons  now  no  longer  need  thy  care 
and  protection,  I  implore  thee,  by  thy  love  for  Jesus  and 
Mary,  to  turn  thine  eyes  towards  me,  to  extend  to  me  thy 
protecting  and  defending  arms ;  to  care  for  me,  for  I 
sorely  need  thy  assistance  in  order  that  I  may  be  able 
hereafter  to  honor  thee  gratefully  and  to  glorify  thee  fort 
ever  in  heaven.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  AT  THE  WEDDING  IN  CANA. 


THE  BAPTISM  OF  JESUS. 


HE  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  John,  the  Son  of  Zach- 


A  ary,  in  the  desert,  that  he  should  prepare  the  way 
of  the  Lord.  John  therefore  came  into  the  country  about 
the  Jordan,  preaching  the  baptism  of  penance  unto  the 
remission  of  sins.  He  pointed  out  the  Messias,  and  when 


2 jo  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

the  people  asked  him  if  he  were  not  himself  the  Messias, 
or  the  Christ,  who  was  to  come,  he  answered  :  “  I  am  the 
voice  of  One  crying  in  the  wilderness  :  make  straight  the 
way  of  the  Lord*  as  said  the  prophet  Isaias ;  but  there 
hath  stood  One  in  the  midst  of  you,  whom  you  know  not. 
The  same  is  He  that  shall  come  after  me,  who  is  preferred 
before  me  :  the  latchet  of  whose  shoe  I  am  not  worthy  to 
loose.”  (John  i.  23-26.) 

On  the  next  day  Jesus  Himself  came  to  the  bank  of 
the  river  Jordan,  and  permitted  Himself  to  be  baptized  by 
His  precursor.  At  the  same  time  the  heavens  opened, 
the  Spirit  of  God  descended  in  the  form  of  a  dove  upon 
Jesus,  and  a  voice  was  heard  from  heaven  saying  :  “  Thou 
art  My  beloved  Son,  in  Thee  I  am  well  pleased.”  (Luke 
iii.  22.)  Attracted  by  the  heavenly  grace  and  superhuman 
excellence  of  His  extraordinary  character,  some  few  dis¬ 
ciples  immediately  gathered  about  Him.  Among  the  first 
apostles  was  the  beloved  disciple,  John,  afterwards  the 
Evangelist  and  the  adopted  son  of  the  Mother  of  God. 

Thus  did  Jesus  begin  slowly  and  noiselessly,  though 
solemnly  and  honorably,  His  life  of  public  teaching.  His 
mother,  dwelling  alone  in  Nazareth,  felt  lonely  in  her 
poor  home  ;  though  we  may  well  infer  that  she  was  per¬ 
mitted  in  some  miraculous  manner  to  enjoy  her  divine 
Son’s  presence  in  spirit,  though  He  might  be  absent  in 
body. 


THE  WEDDING  FEAST. 

“  And  the  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of 
Galilee  :  and  the  Mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  And  Jesus 
also  was  invited,  and  His  disciples,  to  the  marriage.  And 
the  wine  failing,  the  Mother  of  Jesus  saith  to  Him:  They 
have  no  wine.  And  Jesus  saith  to  her  :  Woman,  what  is 
to  Me,  and  to  thee?  My  hour  is  not  yet  come.  His 


The  Blessed  Virgin  at  the  Wedding  in  Cana.  271 

Mother  saith  to  the  waiters  :  Whatsoever  He  shall  say  to 
you,  do  ye.  Now  there  were  set  there  six  water-pots  of 
stone,  according  to  the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the 
Jews,  containing  two  or  three  measures  apiece.  Jesus 
saith  to  them  :  Fill  the  water-pots  with  water.  And  they 
filled  them  up  to  the  brim.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them  : 
Draw  out  now,  and  carry  to  the  chief  steward  of  the  feast. 
And  they  carried  it.  And  when  the  chief  steward  had 
tasted  the  water  made  wine,  and  knew  not  wdience  it  was, 
but  the  waiters  knew  who  had  drawn  the  water :  the 
chief  steward  calleth  the  bridegroom,  and  saith  to  him  : 
Every  man  at  first  setteth  forth  good  wine  :  and  when 
men  have  well  drank,  then  that  which  is  worse :  but  thou 
hast  kept  the  good  wine  until  now.  This  beginning  of 
miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee  :  and  manifested 
His  glory,  and  His  disciples  believed  in  Him.”  (John  ii. 
i-ii.) 

The  holy  apostle  and  evangelist  St.  John  narrates  this 
first  miracle  of  Christ  with  special  affection  ;  evidently 
because  it  shows  so  plainly  the  influence  exercised  by  the 
Mother  of  Jesus  over  her  Son,  as  well  as  her  kindly,  prov¬ 
ident  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  her  fellow-beings. 
With  special  tenderness  and  affection  should  you,  too, 
Christian  reader,  contemplate  Mary  on  this  occasion, 
which  is  evidently  intended  and  eminently  calculated  to 
revive  our  confidence  and  infuse  sentiments  of  trust  and 
security  into  our  hearts. 

The  bridal  pair  were  relatives  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and,  like  her,  virtuous  and  God-fearing.  In  accordance 
with  the  custom  of  the  country  all  the  kinsfolk  of  both 
families  were  invited  to  the  wedding-supper.  Mary,  too, 
received  an  invitation.  But  how  can  she  go  to  a  party  of 
pleasure  !  she  who  knows  no  other  pleasure  save  the  hap¬ 
piness  of  prayer,  solitude,  and  patient  retirement !  But  the 
reflection  that  perhaps  those  who  invited  her  might  be 


272  How  the  Blessed  Virgm  Lived  and  Suffered. 

grieved  by  her  absence,  or  that  she  might  seem  to  slight 
their  kind  advances,  and  to  hold  herself  above  her  rela¬ 
tives,  induced  her  to  attend.  Nay  more,  in  her  provi¬ 
dential  foresight  that  her  services  might  be  required  she 
went  several  days  in  advance  to  Cana,  which  was  four 
good  leagues  distant  from  Nazareth,  in  order  to  give  to 
the  young  couple  the  benefit  of  her  skill,  tact,  and  ex¬ 
perience  in  arranging  for  the  celebration  and  in  getting 
ready  the  wedding  banquet. 

THE  EMBARRASSMENT. 

Whether  it  was  that  more  guests  came  than  had  been 
expected,  whether  because  Our  Saviour  Himself  came 
unexpectedly  with  His  five  disciples,  or  whether,  because 
of  the  poverty  of  the  family,  a  sufficient  supply  of  wine 
could  not  be  laid  in,  it  gave  out  before  the  festivities  were 
ended.  This  unpleasant  occurrence  was  first  noticed  by 
the  observant  and  thoughtful  Mother  of  Jesus.  But 
what  would  this  mean  ?  It  was  simply  a  little  domestic 
incident  of  small  importance,  that  might  happen  in  any 
family  on  such  an  occasion,  and  especially  in  a  poor 
family  of  Galilee.  But  the  blessed  Mother  did  not  so 
look  upon  it.  The  difficulty  must  be  remedied  at  any 
cost,  thought  Mary,  rather  than  have  the  day’s  festivities 
marred  and  the  young  couple  put  to  the  blush.  But  how 
was  it  to  be  remedied  ?  Could  Mary  presume  to  hope 
that  her  divine  Son  would  come  to  their  relief  by  means 
of  a  miracle  ?  What  a  deep  insight  into  the  hidden  life 
of  Jesus  and  Mary  at  Nazareth  is  afforded  us  by  this  in¬ 
cident  at  Cana  !  It  becomes  evident  that,  during  their 
hidden  life,  Jesus  must  have  sometimes,  in  similar  cases, 
manifested  His  miraculous  power.  In  the  present  instance 
the  only  question  was  whether  He  would  show  Himself 
openly  as  a  worker  of  miracles. 


The  Blessed  Virgin  at  the  Wedding  in  Ca?ia.  273 

The  anxious  Mother  whispered  to  her  divine  Son,  who 
sat  near  her  :  “  They  have  no  wine.”  How  thoughtful, 
how  kind,  how  provident,  how  full  of  meaning  these  few 
words  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  !  They  contain  and  express 
kindly  observation,  motherly  solicitude,  humble  request. 
But  she  knew  well  that  all  that  was  required  was  a  re¬ 
minder  to  be  made  by  herself  to  her  divine  Son. 

Mary  had  then  notified  Jesus  of  the  failure  of  the  wine, 
and  received  in  reply  the  words  of  Jesus  :  “Woman,  what 
is  to  thee  and  to  Me,  My  hour  is  not  yet  come.”  There 
are  some  who  pretend  to  discover  a  reprimand  or  a  tone 
of  harshness  in  these  words  of  Christ.  They  err  very 
much.  True,  our  blessed  Lord  does  not  here  address 
Mary  in  the  sweet  and  tender  name  of  Mother.  Yet  in 
using  the  word  “  woman,”  a  word  honorable  and  noble  in 
itself,  though  savoring  of  disrespect  when  a  son  applies 
it  to  His  Mother,  our  blessed  Lord  has  a  special  object 
in  view.  He  wishes  to  make  us  understand  that,  from 
the  date  of  His  entrance  on  the  stage  of  public  life,  He 
belongs  no  longer  exclusively  even  to  His  honored  and 
respected  Mother,  but  to  all  mankind  sorely  in  need  of 
salvation  ;  and  that  if  He  is  to  perform  miracles,  He  is  to 
act  as  the  Son  of  God  and  not  as  the  Son  of  Mary. 

How  admirably  sublime  the  position  occupied  by  Mary 
in  this  circumstance!  The  Redeemer  states  openly 
and  emphatically  that  His  hour  is  not  yet  come  for  the 
public  manifestation  and  exercise  of  His  miraculous 
power,  and  yet  He  actually  works  a  great  miracle  at  the 
modest  request  of  His  Mother.  Thus  the  eternal  decrees 
of  God  are  as  it  were  accelerated,  or  even  anticipated,  for 
the  purpose  of  sparing  the  young  couple  a  mortification  ; 
and  this  is  done  out  of  regard  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
Here,  Christian  reader,  you  may  discover  what  wonderful 
and  extraordinary  power  Mary  has  with  God. 

Moreover  the  thoughtful  and  kind  Virgin  Mary  points 


274  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

out  to  us  the  conditions  under  which  help  is  to  come  from 
God,  when  she  says  to  the  waiters  :  “  Whatsoever  He 
shall  say  to  you,  do  ye.”  Yes,  if  we  would  but  throw  our¬ 
selves  with  faith  and  confidence,  unconditionally,  into  the 
hands  of  the  Saviour ;  if  we  resolve  to  tread  His  paths,  to 
keep  His  commandments,  God  will  help  us,  and  even  be 
ready  and  willing  to  come  towards  us  in  a  supernatural 
manner,  when  all  ordinary  and  natural  means  fail  to  sus¬ 
tain  us. 

Do  not  fail  to  observe  here,  Christian  reader,  that  Jesus 
Christ  does  even  more  than  His  blessed  Mother  asked 
Him  to  do.  She  wished  Him  merely  to  extricate  the 
bridal  party  from  an  unpleasant  embarrassment.  This 
could  have  been  effected  by  a  new  supply  of  the  same 
quality  of  wine,  or  even  of  an  inferior  quality,  it  being  the 
custom  of  the  country  to  serve  a  less  expensive  wine  to¬ 
wards  the  end  of  a  feast.  But  Jesus  did  more;  He  pro¬ 
duced  a  wine  so  excellent  that  the  chief-steward  was 
astonished.  What  a  gentle  and  suggestive  act  of  atten¬ 
tion  from  Jesus  to  His  beloved  Mother  ! 

THE  FIRST  MIRACLE  OF  JESUS. 

This  miracle,  wrought  by  Jesus  out  of  love  for  His 
Mother,  is  well  calculated  to  awaken,  to  strengthen,  and 
to  elevate  your  unlimited  confidence  in  this  same  holy 
Mother.  She  had  not  been  asked  by  the  bridal  couple  of 
Cana  to  use  her  good  offices  with  Jesus.  It  is  probable 
they  were  not  aware  of  the  deficiency  in  the  wine  until  the 
whole  thing  had  been  remedied  ;  yet  Mary,  though  un¬ 
solicited,  sought  to  relieve  and  supply  their  necessities. 
If  you,  Christian  reader,  in  your  hour  of  need  pray  to 
this  same  kind  Mother,  earnestly  and  persistently,  if  you 
assail  her,  so  to  speak,  by  your  prayers  and  tears,  will  she 
not  turn  towards  you  a  willing  and  attentive  ear  ?  At  the 


The  Blessed  Virgin  at  the  Weddmg  in  Cana.  275 

wedding  in  Cana  it  was  question  of  a  very  trifling  and 
transitory  inconvenience.  If,  then,  you  turn  towards  her 
in  the  most  important  affairs  of  life,  where  there  is  ques¬ 
tion  of  saving  your  immortal  soul,  of  preserving  your  in¬ 
nocence,  of  maintaining  your  very  life ;  where  there  is 
danger  of  offending  the  Divine  Majesty  or  of  dishonoring 
the  sacred  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  will  she  act  less  merci¬ 
fully  and  efficiently  in  your  behalf  than  she  did  in  behalf 
of  the  embarrassed  couple  at  their  wedding-feast?  When 
at  Cana  the  blessed  Mother  was  still  sojourning  in  this 
valley  of  tears.  But  now  her  position  in  heaven,  as 
Queen  of  angels,  is  eminently  glorious  and  influential. 
Now  it  is  her  special  office  to  act  as  Refuge  of  sinners, 
Comforter  of  the  afflicted,  and  Health  of  the  sick.  Now 
that  she  dwells  in  the  kingdom  of  rewards,  she  enjoys  a 
formal  right  and  claim  to  have  her  petitions  heard  at  the 
throne  of  God. 

Again,  the  presence  of  the  ever-blessed  Virgin  and  of 
her  divine  Son  at  this  wedding-feast  is  a  beautiful  evi¬ 
dence  that  the  mild  and  gentle  Mother  is  pleased  to  see 
her  children  enjoy  happiness  and  good  cheer ;  that  she  is 
glad  to  sanctify  by  her  presence  all  our  pleasures,  so  long 
as  such  pleasures  are  innocent,  pure,  moderate,  and  en¬ 
joyed  with  thankful  hearts  and  good  intentions.  Abstain, 
Christian  reader,  from  every  extravagant,  boisterous 
pleasure,  from  those  false  enjoyments  which  have  their 
foundation  in  gratification  of  the  senses,  and  which  leave 
nothing  behind,  but  remorse  of  conscience,  regret,  un¬ 
easiness,  discontentment  with  God,  and  with  men,  and 
impediments  to  your  own  high  destiny.  When  about  to 
take  recreation,  always  first  ask  yourself,  Would  I  dare 
to  invite  my  holy  Mother  to  be  present  with  me  in  this 
hour?  Would  she  not  be  compelled  to  reject  indignantly 
such  a  presumptuous  invitation  ? 


276  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

CONFIDENCE  IN  MARY’S  INTERCESSION. 

Christian  reader,  in  studying  this  charming  incident  in 
the  life  of  your  blessed  Mother  at  the  wedding  feast  in 
Cana,  you  must  necessarily  become  deeply  impressed 
with  her  goodness,  and  specially  strengthened  in  your 
reliance  upon  her  mercy  and  compassion.  Hence  it  is 
well  for  you  to  make  profession  of  such  renewed  hope 
and  confidence.  Give  expression  to  your  sentiments 
by  repeating  fervently  and  earnestly  the  following  beauti¬ 
ful  prayer  of  a  holy  and  learned  servant  of  Mary : 

“  O  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  thou  art  the  veritable  Mother 
of  mercy  and  of  comfort.  Though  thou  art  rich,  great, 
and  powerful,  yet  thou  art  bountiful  and  generous.  Thou 
art  merciful  towards  all  creatures,  thou  canst  effect  all 
things  with  thy  beloved  Son. 

“  In  the  time  of  tribulation  beautiful  is  mercy,  like  to  a 
rain-cloud  in  the  season  of  drought.  As  a  light  cloud 
thou  mercifully  screenest  thy  children  from  the  scorching 
heat  of  the  sun,  that  is  to  say,  from  the  wrath  of  thy  Son. 
Thou  shelterest  them  and  refreshest  them  against  the 
fires  of  burning  passions.  Like  a  rain-cloud  thou  dost 
soften  them,  and  moisten  them,  and  fertilize  them  to  good 
works  by  thy  grace.  Thou  art  not  merely  one  of  the 
wise  virgins,  but  the  wisest  among  them  all.  Thou  hast 
the  oil  of  mercy  in  all  thy  vessels — in  the  vessel  of  thy 
heart,  by  love ;  in  the  vessel  of  thy  hand,  by  deeds  ;  in 
the  vessel  of  thy  mouth,  by  intercession.  And  as  thou 
hast  given  birth  to  Mercy  itself,  so  is  thy  chaste  and  sacred 
person  naught  else  save  the  Seat  of  Mercy.’,  (Raym. 
Giordani  in  opusc.  B.  V.  lib.  6,  c.  14.) 

Hasten,  then,  O  Virgin  Mary,  with  all  the  plenitude 
of  thy  generosity  and  mercy,  to  the  help  of  sinners. 
The  generosity  and  magnanimity  of  earthly  queens  is 
shown  when  they  pardon  a  criminal  condemned  for  dis- 


Mary  During  the  Public  Life  of  Christ.  277 

loyalty  and  misdeeds.  I  cannot  believe,  O  Queen  of 
heaven,  that  thou  hast  but  little  power  in  the  kingdom  of 
thy  divine  Son,  or  that  thou  wouldst  fear  to  exercise  thy 
influence.  I  am  the  greatest  of  sinners,  and  I  know  that 
I  deserve  death  by  reason  of  the  many  great  crimes  upon 
my  conscience.  Stand  near  and  assist  me,  then,  Blessed 
Virgin,  show  thyself  to  be  a  queen  and  a  mother.  Thou 
seest  the  sluggishness  of  my  soul.  Infuse  into  it  life  and 
activity.  Thou  knowest  the  wounds  of  my  soul,  be  to  me 
a  good  Samaritan,  pouring  in  oil  and  wine.  This  I  im¬ 
plore  from  thy  great  mercy.  This  I  seek  in  thy  inexhaust¬ 
ible  generosity  and  love,  in  order  that,  through  thy  mater¬ 
nal  intercession,  I  may  obtain  eternal  life,  and  thus  be 
enabled  to  praise  thee,  love,  cherish,  and  venerate  thee 
throughout  all  eternity.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  DURING  THE  PUBLIC  LIFE 

OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 

THE  holy  Gospels  do  not  tell  us  whether  the  Blessed  Vir¬ 
gin  accompanied  her  divine  Son  during  the  three  years 
of  His  public  ministry,  or  whether,  remaining  in  the  seclu¬ 
sion  of  her  humble  home  at  Nazareth,  she  prayed  for  the 
happy  success  of  His  good  work,  seeing,  admiring,  and 
learning  in  spirit  only  His  wonderful  miracles  and 
heavenly  teachings.  For  if  she  were  with  Him  in  person, 
the  bright  rays  of  His  fame,  honor,  and  grateful  recognition 
on  the  part  of  His  admiring  friends  and  followers  would 
necessarily  be  reflected  to  a  great  extent  upon  her. 
Under  any  circumstances  the  blessed  Mother  of  God 
would  be  in  her  proper  place ;  whether  by  the  side  of  her 


278  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered . 

Son,  or  in  her  own  little  room  at  Nazareth.  Yet  I  prefer 
to  stand  by  the  opinion  that  Mary  kept  to  her  home  in 
Nazareth,  and  that  she  now  and  then  came  to  Capharnaum, 
or  perhaps  somewhat  oftener  to  Galilee,  in  tender  devotion 
and  solicitude  for  Him  whenever  He  visited  those  places. 
Yet  we  must  believe  that  there  was  no  separation  of  hearts 
between  them.  For  never  did  there  exist  on  earth  two 
such  loving  hearts,  never  were  hearts  so  intimately  and 
fondly  bound  together  as  the  hearts  of  Jesus  and  Mary. 
In  every  respect,  the  glorious  and  honorable  public  life  of 
Jesus  was  to  His  Mother  at  once  an  inexhaustible  source 
of  mingled  happiness  and  sorrow,  according  as  He  Him¬ 
self,  His  teachings  and  His  good  deeds  were  received  or 
rejected  by  His  people. 

mary’s  joys. 

Jesus  Christ  now  became  a  public  teacher  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  and  was  full  of  grace  and  truth.  More  especially  was 
he  a  comforting  teacher  for  the  poor.  The  poor,  the 
humble,  and  the  sorrowing  He  declared  to  be  blessed. 
Who  knew  better  how  to  understand  and  appreciate  the 
sublime  teachings  of  the  Saviour  than  Mary  with  her  ex¬ 
alted  soul,  her  thoughtful  mind,  and  her  deep  religious 
feeling  ? 

Jesus  was  a  worker  of  miracles  “anointed  with  power 
who  went  about  doing  good,  healing  all  that  were  op¬ 
pressed.”  (Acts  x.  38.)  The  suffering  children  of  men, 
the  darlings  of  Mary’s  compassionate  heart,  looked  with 
hope  and  confidence  to  her  Son  as  their  deliverer.  The 
lame,  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  speechless,  the  disconso¬ 
late,  the  outcast  lepers,  the  possessed,  the  dejected,  the 
fevered  patients  were  all  healed.  What  an  indescribable 
joy  and  delight  to  that  sympathetic  soul  who  at  the  wed¬ 
ding-feast  in  Cana  could  not  bear  to  have  the  parties 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 

THE  ASSUMPTION  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 


* 


Mary  During  the  Public  Life  of  Christ.  279 

concerned  subjected  to  a  trifling  annoyance  !  We  may 
well  suppose  that  Mary,  who  is  the  Health  of  the  sick, 
interceded  many  a  time  for  such  sufferers,  or  perhaps 
even  led  them  herself  to  the  presence  of  her  beloved  and 
loving  Son  that  He  in  His  goodness  and  power  might 
heal  them. 

Jesus  Christ  became,  moreover,  the  most  renowned  per¬ 
sonage  of  His  time.  His  name  and  reputation  went  out 
far  beyond  the  confines  of  Judea  and  Galilee.  The  ad¬ 
miration  of  the  people  for  His  character  was  profound, 
they  were  loud  in  sounding  his  praises.  Plain,  candid,  and 
sincere  were  their  testimonies  and  the  signs  of  their 
reverence  and  admiration.  u  A  great  Prophet  is  risen  up 
among  us,”  cried  the  multitude,  “  and  God  hath  visited 
His  people.”  (Luke  vii.  16.) 

Mary’s  heart  throbbed  with  intense  delight  when  her 
Son  was  conducted  in  triumph  into  Jerusalem  as  the 
Messias  ;  when  the  multitudes  that  went  before  and  that 
followed  spread  their  garments  in  the  way,  and  cut  boughs 
from  the  trees  and  strewed  them  in  the  road,  and  cried, 
saying :  “  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David  :  Blessed  is  He 
that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  :  Hosanna  in  the 
highest.”  (Matt.  xxi.  8,  9.)  This  Teacher,  this  Wonder¬ 
worker,  this  most  renowned  personage  of  His  time  and 
country  was  the  Son  of  Mary.  One  must  possess  the 
fond  and  tender  heart  of  a  mother  to  be  able  to  know 
what  a  joy  this  was  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  For  whatever 
honor  and  gratitude  were  shown  by  men  to  her  Son,  she 
considered  her  greatest  pride  and  satisfaction. 

mary’s  humility. 

But  all  this  happiness  produced  in  her  heart  by  the 
grand  and  glorious  career  of  her  divine  Son,  and  by  the 
honors  that  men  bestowed  upon  Him,  did  not  endanger 


280  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

the  character  of  her  humility.  Never  for  a  moment  did 
she  permit  herself  to  suppose  that  the  dazzling  rays  of 
fame  and  honor  shining  upon  the  person  of  her  Son  were 
reflected  upon  her  own  person.  Jesus  Himself  knew  her 
humility  and  protected  it.  He  understood  so  clearly  the 
inward  sentiments  of  her  agitated  heart  that  He  addressed 
her  publicly  in  a  way  that  would  seem  to  us  cold  and  in¬ 
different.  This  He  did  to  save  her  feelings. 

According  to  Holy  Scripture,  Jesus  alluded  publicly  to 
His  blessed  Mother  only  twice.  On  each  occasion  He 
spoke  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  evidence  of  His  filial 
desire  to  shield  His  Mother  from  the  notice  of  an  over- 
curious  public.  Indeed,  we  may  easily  imagine  that  the 
lowly  handmaid  of  the  Lord  earnestly  besought  the 
Saviour  to  avert  from  her  the  notice  and  attention  of  the 
world. 

The  Saviour  on  one  occasion,  to  the  wonder  and  aston¬ 
ishment  of  the  surrounding  multitude,  cured  a  person  pos¬ 
sessed  by  the  devil.  The  Pharisees,  however,  in  their 
maliciousness  of  heart,  declared  that  He  had  driven  out 
the  devil  by  the  power  of  the  prince  of  devils.  But  Jesus 
in  His  wisdom  succeeded  so  easily  in  disproving  their 
malicious  assertion,  and  brought  His  enemies  to  such  signal 
defeat  and  discomfiture,  even  adding  to  the  miracle  the 
most  exalted  lessons,  that  a  woman  in  the  crowd,  over¬ 
come  with  awe  and  veneration,  cried  out  to  the  Saviour : 
“  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bore  Thee,  and  the  breasts  that 
gave  Thee  suck  !  ”  (Luke  xi.  27.)  Jesus  replied  at  once, 
“Yea  rather,  blessed  are  they  who  hear  the  word  of  God 
and  keep  it.” 

In  the  sincere  and  heartfelt  words  of  this  simple  woman 
Mary  was  praised  for  being  the  Mother  of  a  powerful  and 
wise  Ambassador  from  God.  “  What  a  happy  mother 
must  she  be  who  bore  and  brought  up  such  a  Son  as  this 
man,”  reasoned  the  poor  woman  in  her  own  admiring 


Mary  During  the  Public  Life  of  Christ.  281 

mind.  But  our  blessed  Lord,  though  He  did  not  contradict 
these  words,  added  a  new  praise  of  His  Holy  Mother,  by 
declaring  her  to  be  blessed,  not  merely  for  having  been 
His  Mother,  but  because  she  had  listened  to  God’s  word 
and  had  kept  it.  True,  His  words  of  praise  appertain  to 
all  pious  hearers  and  faithful  observers  of  God’s  word,  so 
that  in  the  eyes  of  the  public  the  Blessed  Virgin  did  not 
seem  to  stand  forth  in  her  exclusive  and  complete  fulness 
of  dignity,  nor  in  all  her  own  peculiar  and  individual  bril¬ 
liancy  of  excellence.  Here  we  ought  certainly  to  admire 
and  revere  the  wisdom  of  the  Son  and  the  humility  of 
the  Mother.  But  how.  richly  the  blessed  virgin  Mother 
deserves  the  praise  bestowed  upon  her !  How  well  she 
will  continue  to  merit,  through  all  ages,  as  long  as  man 
shall  be  redeemed  by  the  grace  of  Christ !  Those  words 
of  the  woman  in  the  gospel,  the  words  of  Jesus  too,  shall 
be  continued  in  the  language  of  the  Church  and  be  pro¬ 
nounced  by  all  grateful  Christians,  by  all  admirers  of 
Mary,  down  to  the  end  of  time. 

Not  long  after  this  the  Blessed  Virgin,  accompanied  by 
some  friends  and  relatives,  came  to  see  Jesus  and  to  hear 
His  divine  words.  He  was  teaching  in  the  synagogue 
amid  a  large  and  eager  crowd  of  listeners,  who  with 
breathless  silence  were  hanging  to  His  very  lips  and  tak¬ 
ing  in  the  divine  truth.  The  gentle  and  diffident  virgin 
Mother  was  unwilling  to  push  her  way  violently  through 
the  immense  throng  of  people.  One  of  the  listeners  took 
it  upon  himself  to  notice  the  presence  of  the  Saviour’s 
Mother,  and  drew  attention  to  her  and  her  attendants,  by 
saying  to  Jesus,  “  Behold  Thy  Mother  and  Thy  brethren 
[for  amongst  the  Jews  one’s  near  relatives  were  styled 
“brethren”]  stand  without  seeking  Thee.”  But  He, 
answering  him  that  told  him,  said  :  “  Who  is  My  mother 

and  who  are  My  brethren  ?  ”  And  stretching  forth  His 
hand  towards  His  disciples,  He  said  :  “  Behold  My  mother 


282  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

and  My  brethren.  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  My 
Father,  that  is  in  heaven,  he  is  My  brother  and  sister  and 
mother.”  (Matt.  xii.  46-50.)  Here  again  does  Jesus  ap¬ 
pear  as  the  sublime  Ambassador  from  God,  exalted  above 
the  influences  of  flesh  and  blood.  Here,  too,  He  seems 
to  disparage  His  beloved  Mother  ;  but  while,  on  the  one 
hand,  He  saves  her  humility,  He,  on  the  other  hand,  be¬ 
stows  upon  her  the  highest  commendation.  For  who  has 
obeyed  the  will  of  God  so  faithfully,  so  perfectly,  with  so 
much  spirit  of  sacrifice,  so  exceptionally  in  every  respect 
as  Mary  did  from  the  first  moment  of  her  existence  ?  For 
this  reason  is  she  dear  to  His  heart,  not  only  as  His  be¬ 
loved  Mother,  but  also  as  the  holy,  self-sacrificing  Hand¬ 
maid  of  the  Lord  who,  by  virtue  of  her  heroic  fiat,  “  Be 
it  done,”  pronounced  in  the  seclusion  of  Nazareth,  had 
permitted  God’s  will  to  be  done  in  her  regard. 

For  you,  too,  Christian  reader,  there  is  contained  in 
these  apparently  harsh  words  of  the  Son  of  Mary  a  truth 
as  sublime  as  it  is  consoling.  For  you  must  perceive  that 
if,  in  all  your  words,  thoughts,  and  actions,  in  all  your 
undertakings,  you  seek  exclusively  to  do  the  will  of  your 
heavenly  Father;  if  you  often  pray  sincerely  and  fervently 
“  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven,  you  will  be¬ 
come  as  near  and  dear  to  your  loving  Saviour  as  if  you 
were,  in  blood,  His  brother,  or  His  mother,  or  His  sister. 
What  a  great  grace,  what  an  unspeakable  happiness,  to 
be  obtained  at  so  small  a  price  ! 

mary’s  sorrows. 

Where  is  the  child  that  is  so  universally  known,  praised, 
and  treasured  as  its  mother’s  heart  would  wish  it  to  be  ? 
But  what  were  the  petty,  though  perhaps  well-meant,  acts 
of  homage,  which  the  common  people  showed  to  the  Son 
of  God  in  consideration  of  His  stupendous  miracles’' 


Mary  During  the  Public  Life  of  Christ.  283 

What  proportion  did  they  bear  to  the  God  of  everlasting 
glory  ?  What  were  they  in  comparison  with  the  un¬ 
bounded  adoration  which  His  blessed  Mother  offered  to 
Him,  and  which  she  would  gladly  exact  and  bring  forth 
from  every  living  creature  ?  In  proportion  as  Mary  was 
indifferent  to  her  own  renown,  she  was  solicitous,  eagerly 
solicitous,  to  watch  over  the  honor  and  renown  of  her 
beloved  Son.  Her  feelings  were  wounded  to  their 
depths  when  men  failed  to  hear  Him  with  all  the  respect 
and  reverence  to  which  He  was  entitled. 

How  painfully  harrowing,  then,  it  must  have  been  to  our 
loving  Mother  when  public  ingratitude  and  cruel  and 
shameful  contempt  became  the  portion  of  her  Son  and 
Saviour  !  One  only  example  will  I  give  you,  Christian 
reader,  of  the  humiliating  and  degrading  treatment  which 
our  dear  Lord  was  pleased  to  undergo  in  the  city  of  His 
forefathers.  It  was  public,  in  the  synagogue,  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  His  tender  Mother  and  other  kinsfolk,  and  to 
their  great  grief  and  indignation. 

“  And  Jesus  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into 
Galilee,  and  the  fame  of  Him  went  out  through  the  whole 
country.  And  He  taught  in  their  synagogues,  and  was 
magnified  by  all.  And  He  came  to  Nazareth  where  He 
was  brought  up  :  and  He  went  into  the  synagogue  accord¬ 
ing  to  His  custom  on  the  Sabbath-day,  and  He  rose  up  to 
read,  and  the  book  of  Isaias  the  prophet  was  delivered 
unto  Him.  And  as  He  unfolded  the  book,  He  found  the 
place  where  it  was  written  :  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon 
Me  :  wherefore  He  hath  anointed  Me,  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  poor  He  hath  sent  Me,  to  heal  the  contrite  of  heart, 
to  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives,  and  sight  to  the 
blind,  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach 
the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  day  of  reward. 
And  when  He  had  folded  the  book,  He  restored  it  to  the 


284  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

minister,  and  sat  down.  And  the  eyes  of  all  in  the  syna¬ 
gogue  were  fixed  on  Him. 

“  And  He  began  to  say  to  them  :  This  day  is  fulfilled 
this  scripture  in  your  ears.  And  all  gave  testimony  to 
Him  :  and  they  wondered  at  the  words  of  grace  that  pro¬ 
ceeded  from  His  mouth,  and  they  said  :  Is  not  this  the  son 
of  Joseph  ?  And  He  said  to  them  :  Doubtless  you  will 
say  to  me  this  similitude :  Physician  heal  thyself  :  as 
great  things  as  we  have  heard  done  in  Capharnaum,  do 
also  here  in  thy  own  country.  And  He  said  :  Amen  I 
say  to  you,  that  no  prophet  is  accepted  in  his  own  coun¬ 
try.  In  truth  I  say  to  you,  there  were  many  widows  in  the 
days  of  Elias  in  Israel,  when  heaven  was  shut  up  three 
years  and  six  months  :  when  there  was  a  great  famine 
throughout  all  the  earth  :  And  to  none  of  them  was  Elias 
sent,  but  to  Sarepta  of  Sidon,  to  a  widow  woman.  And 
there  were  many  lepers  in  Israel  in  the  time  of  Eliseus 
the  prophet :  and  none  of  them  was  cleansed  but  Naaman 
the  Syrian.  And  all  they  in  the  synagogue,  hearing  these 
things,  were  filled  with  anger.  And  they  rose  up  and 
thrust  Him  out  of  the  city  :  and  they  brought  Him  to  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  whereon  their  city  was  built,  that  they 
might  cast  Him  down  headlong.  But  He  passing  through 
the  midst  of  them,  went  His  way.”  (Luke  iv.  14 — 30.) 

What  a  spectacle,  dear  Christian  reader,  for  the  tearful 
eyes  of  the  Mother  of  Jesus  !  With  feelings  of  terror  she 
had  perceived  the  first  symptoms  of  the  coming  storm,  and 
awaited  its  outburst  with  indescribable  anxiety.  When 
she  saw  to  what  lengths  insane  passion  was  about  to  lead 
these  blinded  people,  she  summoned  all  her  energy  and 
courage,  and  regardless  of  the  mockery  of  the  enemy, 
oblivious  of  all  danger,  hastened  to  the  side  of  her  divine 
Son  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice  whence  the  mob  sought 
to  hurl  Him  down  and  kill  Him.  But  here  her  terror  was 
dispelled,  and  her  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  Jesus  relieved, 


Mary  During  the  Public  Life  of  Christ.  285 

for  it  became  her  happy  privilege  to  witness  another  very 
great  miracle  wrought  by  her  Son  who,  in  His  omnipo¬ 
tence,  thwarted  the  efforts  of  His  would  be  murderers,  and 
escaped  from  their  hands.* 

Most  loving  and  deeply  troubled  Mother  Mary  !  I 
implore  thee  by  the  deep  anguish  which  thy  sacred  heart 
experienced  on  account  of  the  indignities  offered  to  thy 
Son,  and  by  reason  of  the  mortal  danger  which  He  passed 
through  in  His  own  town,  that  thou  wouldst  be  near  me 
when  I  shall  be  in  danger  of  death,  whether  of  body  or 
of  soul.  Above  all,  do  not  abandon  me  in  my  last  death- 
agony.  In  that  hour  draw  me  to  thee,  hold  me  near 
thyself,  lest  my  infernal  enemies  should  succeed  in  hurl¬ 
ing  me  down  into  the  abyss  of  destruction. 

SHADOW  OF  THE  CROSS. 

The  mountain-brink  at  Nazareth  was  a  figure  of  the 
heights  of  Calvary.  No  one  felt  this  more  keenly  than 
Mary,  no  one  thought  upon  it  with  greater  terror  and  con¬ 
sternation.  This  mysterious  dread  of  the  future,  this 
apprehension  of  the  approaching  fate  of  her  beloved 
Son,  constituted  the  abiding  anxiety  of  the  Mother  of 
God.  As  in  the  harvest  time  the  vigilant,  industrious 
farmer,  casting  his  anxious  eye  along  the  dim  horizon, 
descries  the  small  cloud  gathering,  his  solicitude  augment¬ 
ing  as  the  cloud  slowly  but  gradually  assumes  larger, 
darker,  and  more  threatening  proportions,  so  did  Mary’s 
eye,  quickened  by  maternal  anxiety  and  dread,  plainly 
discover  the  coming  storm  of  the  Passion  of  Christ.  She 
saw  in  the  distance,  as  elements  of  the  storm,  the  selfish- 

*  Father  Geramb  speaks  of  the  ruins  of  a  beautiful  church  which 
the  empress  St.  Helena  caused  to  be  built  on  this  mountain,  and 
which  was  known  as  “  The  Church  of  Our  Lady  in  Terror.” 


286  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered . 

ness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  their  rancorous 
hatred  for  her  divine  Son.  More  and  more  dark  and 
threatening  the  cloud  became,  as  it  came  nearer.  Already 
the  tingle  in  her  ears  began  to  assume  defined  proportions, 
and  she  heard  the  secret  plottings  of  the  cunning  enemy 
and  the  rumbling  of  the  infuriated  populace,  as  they 
cried  out  against  the  Lord’s  Anointed,  “  Away  with  Him  ! 
Crucify  Him  !  ” 

As  has  been  previously  stated,  dear  Christian  reader, 
the  Blessed  Virgin  knew,  partly  from  the  prophecies  given 
in  Holy  Writ,  and  partly  through  the  teachings  of  her  be¬ 
loved  Son  Himself,  that  He  was  to  redeem  and  save  man 
by  suffering  and  humiliation.  But  in  what  manner  or  in 
what  degree  this  was  to  be  accomplished,  or  what  length 
of  time  was  to  elapse  before  its  occurrence,  were  circum¬ 
stances  that  had  not  been  revealed  to  her  with  accuracy. 

It  seems  probable  that  our  blessed  Lord  revealed 
gradually  to  His  beloved  Mother  the  dreadful  mystery  of 
His  sufferings  and  death  on  the  cross,  and  thus  gradually 
prepared  her  to  bear  with  strength  and  resolution  the  ap¬ 
proaching  storm,  and  to  meet  its  hardest  blows  with 
patient  resignation  and  unflinching  fortitude.  It  was  thus 
He  prepared  His  disciples,  giving  them  repeated  hints  as 
the  occasion  offered,  until  at  length  in  the  last  year  of  His 
ministry,  when  on  His  way  to  celebrate  the  Pasch  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  He  declared  it  openly,  saying  :  “  Behold,  we  go  up 
to  Jerusalem,  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  to 
the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes,  and  they  shall  condemn 
Him  to  death.”  (Matt.  xx.  18.)  Whenever  and  under  what¬ 
ever  circumstances  the  heroic  Virgin  received  closer  in¬ 
timation  of  the  time  and  mode  of  her  Son’s  passion,  a 
fresh  thrust  of  Simeon’s  prophesied  sword  was  made  in 
her  agonizing  heart.  But  she  bore  all  with  the  fortitude 
of  a  heroine,  with  the  dignity  of  a  queen,  and  with  the  res¬ 
ignation  of  a  saint. 


Mary  Treads  the  Way  of  the  Cross. 


287 


Ever-blessed  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  I  unite  myself  to 
thee  in  all  thy  joys  and  honors ;  likewise  in  all  thy 
sorrows  and  pains  ;  in  all  that  thou  didst  undergo  and 
experience  during  the  public  life  of  thy  Son,  Our  Lord.  I 
rejoice  that,  amidst  thy  many  sorrows,  thou  hadst  also 
many  joys  and  triumphs  in  the  glory  and  honor  shown  to 
thy  Son  by  faithful  friends.  With  thee,  blessed  Mother,  I 
desire  most  ardently  that  He  may  now  and  forevermore  be 
known,  adored,  and  loved  as  He  deserves.  As  a  compen¬ 
sation  for  our  coldness  and  neglect  in  this  regard,  offer  to 
Him,  I  implore  thee,  thy  own  maternal  sympathies,  in  joy 
and  in  sorrow,  together  also  with  all  thy  other  merits. 
Thus  thou  mayest  secure  to  us,  from  His  mercy,  the  for¬ 
giveness  of  all  our  sins.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

MARY  TREADS  THE  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS. 

PROFOUND  mysteries,  precious  graces,  and  grievous 
sorrows  in  the  life  of  our  blessed  Mother  have  been 
thus  far,  Christian  reader,  the  subjects  of  your  admira¬ 
tion  and  meditation.  I  have  endeavored  to  present  them 
vividly  to  your  heart  and  mind.  But  now,  when  we  are 
about  to  accompany  our  afflicted  Lady  on  the  way  of  the 
cross,  and  see  her  side  by  side  with  her  persecuted  Son, 
I  feel  compelled  to  cease  my  efforts  at  description  or  ex¬ 
planation.  When  the  prophet  Jeremias  was  permitted  by 
heaven  to  foresee  this  same  dismal  picture  of  sorrow,  he 
knew  not  with  what  to  compare  it.  In  his  deep  sympathy, 
he  cried  out:  “To  what  shall  I  compare  thee  ?  or  to  what 
shall  I  liken  thee,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem  ?  to  what  shall 
I  equal  thee,  that  I  may  comfort  thee,  O  virgin  daughter 


288  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered . 

of  Sion  ?  For  great  as  the  sea  is  thy  destruction  ;  who 
shall  heal  thee  ?  ”  (Lam.  ii.  13.) 

The  sufferings  of  Son  and  Mother  are  mutual,  and  may 
not  be  separated ;  for  in  her  very  heart  and  soul  Mary 
suffered  by  sympathy  in  every  cruel  pang  and  degrading 
scene  occurring  at  the  Passion  of  the  Lamb  of  God. 
Besides  being  a  tender  and  sympathizing  mother  in  every 
human  sense,  she  possessed  in  an  extraordinary  degree  a 
clear  knowledge  of  the  person  who  suffered,  as  well  as  of 
the  reason  why  He  suffered.  The  following  truths,  which 
ought  to  be  kept  constantly  in  mind  during  our  study  of 
the  Passion  of  Jesus  Christ,  stood  out  clear  before  the 
eyes  of  Mary’s  soul : 

He  who  is  suffering  such  indescribable  ignominy  is  the 
supreme  God. 

He  who  is  suffering  these  indignities  is  the  most  lov¬ 
ing  and  lovable  among  men. 

He  who  is  suffering  this  inhuman  treatment  has  every 
claim  upon  the  love  of  men. 

He  who  is  suffering  thus  innocently  suffers  on  account 
of  love,  and  of  His  own  free  will ;  suffers,  too,  more  than 
is  necessary,  all  for  the  purpose  of  redeeming  the  world, 
and  of  rendering  ample  atonement  to  the  heavenly  Father. 

How  the  clear,  deep  knowledge  of  these  truths  must 
have  awakened  the  most  sympathetic  suffering  in  the 
tender  and  compassionate  Mother  and  Virgin ! 

Yet  in  regard  to  the  sufferings  of  Mary  you  must  not 
forget,  Christian  reader,  in  your  heartfelt  meditation  on  her 
sorrows,  that,  from  first  to  last,  she  followed  her  Son  of 
her  own  free  will ;  that  she  followed  Him  impelled  not 
alone  by  the  natural  impulse  of  a  mother’s  love,  but  more 
with  the  wish  to  suffer  on  her  own  part  as  much  as  pos¬ 
sible  in  the  act  of  man’s  reconciliation  to  his  Creator  : 
by  her  own  sufferings  to  make  herself  as  worthy  as  pos¬ 
sible  of  heavenly  joys  ;  and  on  her  part,  also,  to  give  ex- 


Mary  Treads  the  Way  of  the  Cross .  289 

pression  in  the  most  heartfelt  manner  to  her  Father  in 
heaven  of  her  deep  love  and  sincere  gratitude.  You 
must  also  bear  in  mind  that,  according  to  the  best  opinion 
of  most  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
during  all  these  severe  trials,  needed  continual  strength, 
aid,  and  support  from  heaven,  without  which  she  must 
certainly  have  died  of  grief  and  exhaustion.  Yet  this 
assistance  from  heaven  was  not  such  as  to  lessen  the 
intensity  of  Mary’s  suffering ;  on  the  contrary,  it  rendered 
her  capable  of  undergoing  a  greater  amount  of  grief,  by 
keeping  her  up  and  alive,  and  thus  compelling  her  to  bear 
a  greater  measure  of  affliction  ! 

Heroic  Queen  of  martyrs  !  So  guide  and  strengthen 
me  that  I  may  be  able  to  walk  in  thy  footsteps,  with 
grateful  love  and  sorrow  of  heart,  and  thus  learn  to  love 
thee  the  more  tenderly,  to  serve  God  more  faithfully,  to 
avoid  sin  more  conscientiously,  and  to  bear  my  own  private 
afflictions  with  more  patient  resignation. 

“  HOSANNA  !  ”  AND  “  CRUCIFY  HIM  !  ” 

The  days  immediately  preceding  the  capture  of  our 
blessed  Lord  by  His  enemies  were  passed  by  the  anxious 
Mother  in  Bethania,  a  town  lying  about  two  miles  from 
Jerusalem.  She  was  tarrying  with  Martha  and  Mary, 
whose  brother,  Lazarus,  Christ  had  previously  raised  from 
the  dead. 

The  Holy  Gospels  do  not  inform  us  whether  the  blessed 
Mother  was  present  or  not  at  the  first  stages  in  the 
Passion  of  her  beloved  Son.  It  is  only  on  blood-stained 
Calvary  and  under  the  cross  that  her  fair  vision  breaks 
upon  us  like  that  of  an  angel  standing  before  us.  But  this 
very  circumstance  of  her  presence  on  Golgotha  in  the 
very  height  of  the  bloody  drama,  as  well  as  her  over¬ 
whelming  love  for  her  Son,  and,  finally,  a  tradition  univer- 


290  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

sally  received  in  the  earliest  days  of  Christianity,  leave  no 
doubt  in  our  minds  that  she  witnessed,  not  only  in  spirit, 
but  in  person,  every  event  in  that  dreadful  tragedy,  that 
she  was  present  at  every  step  from  the  high-priest’s  house 
to  the  entombment  of  her  dead  Son.  How  could  we  sup¬ 
pose  for  a  moment  that  a  mother  so  loving  and  so  zealous 
in  the  cause  of  redemption  as  we  know  Mary  to  have 
been,  could  remain  quiet  in  Bethania  while  her  Son  and 
Saviour  was  enacting  in  Jerusalem  the  various  solemn 
acts  of  the  dread  tragedy  of  atonement.  It  may  be  that 
even  on  the  Palm  Sunday  previous  the  Blessed  Virgin 
shared  in  the  joy  and  triumph  attending  the  entrance  of 
Jesus  into  the  metropolis.  It  is  not  improbable  that  she 
celebrated  the  Pasch  together  with  the  other  holy  women 
who  usually  followed  Jesus,  and  that  she  received  holy 
communion  from  His  high-priestly  hands  in  an  apartment 
near  to  the  “  upper  chamber  ”  in  the  same  house  in  which 
Jesus  celebrated  the  Last  Supper  with  His  apostles.  One 
thing  at  least  is  certain,  namely,  that  on  the  night  of  the 
agony  in  the  garden,  she  was  complying  with  the  wish  that 
He  three  times  expressed  to  His  disciples  :  she  “  watched 
and  prayed,”  if  not  in  the  garden,  at  least  in  her  own 
seclusion.  And  the  angel  who  comforted  and  strengthened 
the  Son  taught  the  Mother  how  to  rejoice  in  suffering  and 
be  content  in  tribulation. 

During  that  night  of  untold  horrors,  between  Thursday 
and  Friday,  during  which  the  gentle  Saviour  was  given 
over,  without  a  friend,  to  the  brutal  hands  of  the  ruthless 
jailers,  and  subjected  to  their  coarse  and  villainous 
sneers  and  mockery,  and  to  every  indignity  that  hell  could 
suggest  to  its  willing  agents — during  that  night  Mary  was 
not  with  her  child.  Oh,  what  a  dreadful  and  desolate  lone¬ 
liness  for  both  Jesus  and  Mary !  How  harrowing  to 
Mary’s  heart,  if  she  was  permitted  to  see  in  spirit  these 
indignities !  If  not,  then  what  an  excruciating  state  of 


Mary  Treads  the  Way  of  the  Cross.  291 

uncertainty  for  her  during  the  dark  and  tedious  hours  ! 
Oh,  that  day  would  come  !  No,  afflicted  Mother,  long  not 
for  the  dawning  of  the  terrible  day  which  is  to  follow  this 
terrible  night.  It  will  be  the  most  awful  day  ever  passed 
by  a  mother. 

But  the  day  dawned  at  last,  and  the  sun  rose  over  the 
earth  that  was  soon  to  be  stained  with  the  blackest  of 
crimes.  It  was  Friday,  the  day  that  we  unthinking 
Christians,  without  ever  remembering  why,  call  Good 
Friday.  Now  was  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth  dragged 
from  one  contemptible  judge  to  another.  And  while 
the  rough  executioners  and  the  street  populace  in  a  state 
of  wild  frenzy  crowded  about  Jesus  to  strike  Him,  to  spit 
upon  Him,  and  to  mock  and  degrade  Him  even  still  more 
if  possible,  a  gentle  woman,  with  blanched  cheeks  but 
firm  and  decided  features,  might  be  seen  struggling  amid 
the  crowd,  her  eager  eyes  fixed  with  a  stony  stare  upon 
Jesus.  She  seemed  the  angel  of  sorrow  and  of  patience 
combined  surrounded  by  mad  demons.  Fearless  was 
she,  yet  modest  and  retiring,  and  shrinking  from  foul 
contact  with  her  Son’s  destroyers.  Yet  her  terror- 
stricken  heart  kept  its  strength,  and  she  came  nearer  to 
the  object  of  her  solicitude,  nearer  to  the  object  of  her 
love  and  adoration. 

Again  Mary  stood  before  Pilate’s  house.  On  the 
balcony  appeared  Pilate,  leading  Jesus.  Pilate  addressed 
the  wild  multitude:  “Whom  will  you  that  I  release  to 
you  :  Barabbas  [who  was  a  highway  robber]  or  Jesus 
that  is  called  Christ?”  (Matt,  xxvii.  17.)  Jesus  cast 
His  eyes  upon  the  crowd  surging  beneath  Him,  and 
looked  as  if  He  would  fain  remind  them  of  His  recent 
miracles  wrought  among  them  and  to  their  advantage 
and  profit,  not  to  speak  of  His  other  kind,  good  works  or 
of  His  wise  and  gentle  teachings.  Like  a  receding  wave 
on  the  sea-shore  were  the  voices  of  the  excited  crowd. 


292  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

Then  gradually  gathering  force,  the  sound  of  their  voices 

swelled  into  a  roar,  and  seemed  like  a  returning  wave  to 

dash  and  break  itself  against  the  stone  balustrade  of 
« 

Pilate’s  balcony.  Amid  the  din  were  plainly  heard  the 
howling  voices  crying  out :  “  Release  unto  us  Barabbas, 
crucify  Jesus  !  ”  Hardly  one  weak  and  timid  voice  could 
be  heard  faintly  saying :  “  Release  Jesus  !  ”  Thus  was 
Jesus  Christ,  who  had  come  to  save  and  to  teach  all  men, 
publicly  and  solemnly  condemned  in  His  own  person  by 
the  unanimous  acclamation  of  Plis  own  beloved  people 
and  in  the  courts  of  His  own  beloved  city,  Jerusalem. 

Once  more  Jesus  cast  His  eyes  over  the  wild  and  surg¬ 
ing  multitude,  in  the  vain  hope  of  discovering  one 
friendly,  compassionate  face,  one  voice  protesting  against 
this  unfair  and  cruel  sentence.  Then  His  eyes  met  those 
of  His  afflicted  Mother.  As  sometimes  on  a  stormy  night, 
one  quiet,  solitary  star  seems  to  look  out  from  amid  the 
torn  and  tearing  clouds  as  they  career  madly  before  the 
hurrying  winds,  giving  hope  and  courage  to  the  benighted 
traveller,  so  did  Mary’s  gentle  face  quietly  beam  from 
amid  the  black  cloud  of  the  enemy,  and  cast  a  warm¬ 
ing  ray  of  light  and  cheer  into  the  dark  abyss  of  Jesus’ 
heart.  As  their  eyes  meet,  their  hearts  embrace,  their 
thoughts  unite,  their  love,  their  sorrow,  their  tears,  their 
sacrifice,  their  prayers,  their  grief-laden  souls  become 
one.  Jesus  becomes  Mary’s  comforting  Angel,  Mary  be¬ 
comes  the  same  for  Jesus.  When  all  affection  seems 
forever  banished,  when  the  dearest  ties  seem  snapped 
asunder,  when  even  the  heavenly  Father  seems  to  have 
forgotten  and  abandoned  His  divine  Son,  when  Peter 
blushes  to  have  known  his  Master,  when  Jesus  seems  to 
be  utterly  and  hopelessly  alone  in  the  face  of  a  crowd  in¬ 
sanely  panting  for  His  blood,  Mary’s  love  does  not  fail. 
She  is  there,  and  will  remain  to  the  last,  suffering  with 
her  Son  and  for  her  Son,  and  for  us. 


Mary  Treads  the  Way  of  the  Cross.  293 

Near  to  the  hall  where  Jesus  was  scourged,  Mary  was 
to  be  found.  Every  snap  of  the  whip  as  it  tore  the  flesh 
of  Jesus,  tore  her  heart  to  the  core.  Her  blood  ran 
cold,  and  her  very  flesh  crept  with  anguish,  as  she  saw 
the  bloody  thongs  rise  high  in  air  above  the  heads  of  the 
multitude,  only  to  fall  with  renewed  force  upon  the 
mangled  flesh  of  the  sinless  Lamb  of  God.  Every  blow 
found  its  echo  in  her  wildly  throbbing  heart,  till  her  sen¬ 
sitiveness  was  such  that  her  own  virginal  flesh  fairly 
quivered  with  pain  at  every  blow  inflicted  upon  the  body 
of  her  divine  Son. 

Again  Mary  stood  in  front  of  Pilate’s  Court,  when  that 
mean,  vacillating  judge,  leading  their  King  clothed  in  a 
garb  of  mockery  and  with  crown  of  thorns  on  His  head  and 
a  reed  for  a  sceptre  in  His  hand,  appeared  before  the 
people  and  said  mockingly:  “  Behold  the  Man  !  ”  “  Ecce 
Homo  !”  What  a  heart-rending  sight  to  behold  !  Mother 
of  sorrows !  behold  the  Man  that  was  conceived  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  behold  “  the  only  begotten  Son  of  the  Father, 
full  of  grace  and  truth.”  Behold  Him  streaming  with 
blood,  mocked,  despised,  rendered  almost  unrecognizable, 
and  commended  by  Pilate  to  the  mercy  of  the  lowest 
populace.  “  Behold  the  Man  !  ”  and  hear  the  shrieks  of 
the  beholders,  “  Away  with  Him,  crucify  Him  !  ” 

THE  MEETING  ON  THE  WAY  TO  CALVARY. 

The  sentence  was  pronounced.  Its  every  word  was  a 
death-knell  in  Mary’s  ears,  tolling  for  her  own  death  and 
burial.  With  such  haste  as  only  a  thirst  for  blood  can 
inspire,  was  the  great  rough  cross  prepared,  and  the  pro¬ 
cession  put  in  marching  order  for  Calvary.  What  a  con¬ 
trast  between  this  march  and  the  triumphant  march  of  the 
preceding  Sunday  into  that  self-same  city,  and  among 
that  same  people!  After  all  the  afflicted  Mother  had 


294  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

already  suffered,  we  cannot  but  wonder  that  she  still  re¬ 
tained  strength  sufficient  to  enable  herto  join  in  this  hurrying 
and  excited  throng,  and  accompany  her  doomed  Son  on  His 
last  journey.  But  her  very  grief,  her  love,  her  strong 
spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  nerved  her  for  this  new  trial.  As 
the  Saviour  loved  His  own  even  unto  the  end,  so  did  she 
desire  to  be  at  His  side  until  the  end. 

Accompanied  by  St.  John  and  Mary  Magdalen,  the 
agitated  Mother  started  ahead  of  the  excited  crowd, 
which  soon  came  rolling  on  and  roaring  on  behind  them 
like  a  foaming  and  impetuous  mountain  torrent.  At  a  cer¬ 
tain  place  on  the  road  over  which  the  crowd  must  pass  the 
Mother  took  her  stand.  She  must  see  her  beloved  Son. 
In  spite  of  everything  she  must  gain  His  side  and  speak 
to  Him  a  word  of  comfort,  though  she  should  be  trampled 
under  foot  in  her  effort.  Perhaps  one  single  glance  from 
her  eye  would  afford  Him  new  strength  and  courage ;  one 
word  might  help  Him  to  climb  the  weary  height  of  Gol¬ 
gotha. 

Closely  veiled,  she  stood  alone — she  the  immaculate 
Queen  of  heaven — and  awaited  the  coming  of  the  King’s 
Son  and  her  Son.  Peering  eagerly  over  the  heads  of  the 
ever-increasing  throng  of  men  and  women  who  hurried 
out  of  the  houses  and  came  running  up  from  the  by-streets 
and  lanes  to  see  how  the  Seducer  of  the  people  was  to 
end  His  ignoble  career  by  death  on  the  cross,  she  heard 
their  sneers  and  insulting  remarks,  and  shuddered  at  their 
blasphemous  jokes,  and  shrunk  from  those  who  were 
boisterously  loud  in  their  approval  of  the  action  taken 
against  Jesus  by  the  authorities  and  the  people.  Then 
she  hears  the  sound  of  trumpets  announcing  the  approach 
of  the  awful  procession.  Then  she  beholds  in  the  hands 
of  the  bearers  the  awful  instruments  of  the  coming  exe¬ 
cution — the  ladders,  ropes,  hammer,  and  nails.  Next  she 
sees  the  two  thieves,  who,  with  heads  erect,  walk  on 


Mary  Treads  the  Way  of  the  Cross.  295 

either  side  of  her  divine  Son.  At  last,  O  God  of  heaven  ! 
what  a  shocking  spectacle  meets  her  eyes — a  sight  to  un¬ 
nerve  the  wildest  savage  of  the  forest ;  what  a  sight  for  a 
mother’s  eyes,  for  a  mother  such  as  Mary  ! 

Sinking  with  pain  and  weakness,  bending  under  the 
heavy  weight  of  the  cross,  the  Lamb  of  God  staggers 
slowly  forward,  covered  with  blood.  The  crown  of  thorns 
is  still  pressing  downward  on  His  brow,  forcing  the  blood 
to  run  in  streams  into  His  blinded  eyes,  so  that  He  could 
hardly  fix  His  troubled  gaze  on  the  countenance  of  His 
afflicted  Mother.  Anxious  as  He  was  to  look  upon  her, 
and  with  one  fond  glance  to  thank  her  for  her  heroic,  un¬ 
selfish  love,  He  made  an  effort  to  change  His  bowed 
position  beneath  the  cross,  raised  His  head  feebly,  and 
directed  towards  her  one  fond  look  of  inexpressible 
anguish,  mingled  with  grateful  recognition  and  humble 
resignation.  Unable  to  restrain  herself  any  longer,  Mary 
made  a  step  or  two  towards  Him,  in  the  hope  of  embrac¬ 
ing  Him  and  of  whispering  softly  in  His  ear  a  few  wTords 
of  pity  and  commiseration.  But  the  rude  soldiers  drove 
her  roughly  back  ;  either  because  they  recognized  in  her 
the  Mother  of  their  Victim,  or  more  probably  in  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  law  which  forbade  any  manifestation  of  pity 
for  one  judicially  condemned  to  death,  construing  any 
such  sympathy  as  a  protest  against  and  indignity  to  the 
decision  of  the  high  court. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  inward  anguish  of  Jesus  at  the  sight 
of  His  afflicted  Mother,  or  the  brief  halt  of  a  few  minutes, 
soon  followed  by  the  urgent  pushing  and  blows  of  the 
soldiers  in  their  eagerness  to  advance,  that  caused  the 
exhausted  Redeemer  to  stagger  forward  and  then  fall 
heavily  and  helplessly  under  His  cross,  prostrate  to  the 
earth.  What  a  spectacle  for  his  affrighted  Mother ! 
What  a  dreadful  sight  to  witness !  Her  beloved  and 
adorable  Son,  falling  powerless,  nay,  almost  lifeless,  and 


296  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

then  to  see  His  executioners  striking  Him,  driving  Him, 
to  put  Him  again  on  His  weary  feet. 

When  the  thickest  part  of  the  crowd  had  passed  by, 
Mary  followed  as  fast  as  her  strength  would  permit.  One 
in  heart  with  her  Son,  her  soul  commingling  with  His,  she 
walked  in  His  footprints  of  blood.  At  every  blood-drop 
that  marked  the  path  Jesus  had  trodden,  she  knelt  in 
spirit  and  adored.  At  last,  when  worn  out  with  pain, 
fatigue,  and  grief,  she  reached  the  summit  of  Calvary, 
only  to  meet  new  horrors,  yet  resolved  to  see  them  all. 

O  afflicted  Mother,  remember  the  many  unspeakable 
sorrows  which  thou  didst  experience  when  following  thy 
cross-bearing  Son  on  the  road  to  Calvary.  It  was  the 
hardest  and  bitterest  journey  of  thy  life.  Remember, 
dearest  Virgin,  this  dismal  march.  By  all  the  pain  which 
thou  didst  suffer  on  it,  I  implore  thee  to  stand  by  me  as  a 
mother,  a  guide,  and  a  support,  wrhen  I  shall  be  on  my 
way  to  death.  Accompany  me  on  my  journey  to  eternity, 
stand  near  me  in  the  hour  of  judgment.  Offer  for  me  to 
my  Judge  all  thy  tears  to  wash  away  my  sins.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII  . 

MARY  UNDER  THE  CROSS. 

THE  STROKE  OF  THE  HAMMER. — THE  RAISING  OF  THE 

CROSS. 

A  GAR,  the  handmaid  of  Abraham,  was  compelled  to 
**  leave  his  house.  Seizing  what  was  dearest  to  her  on 
earth,  her  infant  boy,  she  pressed  him  to  her  bosom,  and 
with  no  other  goods,  left  the  house  in  which  she  had  lived 
long  and  happy.  Timid  and  lonely,  she  strayed  away 


Mary  Under  the  Cross. 


297 


into  the  barren,  dry,  and  uninhabited  desert,  with  no 
companion  save  her  sleeping  child.  Here  she  wandered 
up  and  down  in  ^search  of  water  for  the  boy.  For  her¬ 
self  or  her  own  wants  she  had  not  a  thought.  Her 
search  was  vain.  And  when  her  child  was  almost  dead 
she  laid  it  down  gently  in  the  shade  of  a  solitary  tree, 
withdrew  to  some  distance,  turned  away  her  face,  and 
weeping  aloud,  said :  “  I  will  not  see  the  boy  die.” 
(Gen.  xxi.  16.) 

Here,  Christian  reader,  we  have  from  Scripture  an 
example  of  maternal  love,  of  motherly  grief  and  desola¬ 
tion.  But  far  more  deep  and  intense  is  Mary’s  love  ;  far 
more  agonizing  the  grief  of  the  heroic  Mother  on  the 
desert  of  Calvary. 

Having  reached  the  summit,  Mary  again  saw  her  be¬ 
loved  Son.  The  cross  had  been  lifted  from  His  shoulders 
and  now  lay  on  the  ground  at  His  feet.  Although  His 
human  nature  shuddered  in  the  presence  of  this  instru¬ 
ment  of  suffering  and  of  death,  yet  He  gazed  upon  it  with 
longing,  and  even  loving,  gaze,  saluting  it  as  the  altar  of 
justice  and  atonement,  as  the  key  with  which  He  was 
about  to  unlock  heaven’s  gate  to  Adam’s  descendants. 

Presently  the  preparations  for  the  crucifixion  were 
completed,  and  the  most  direful  act  of  human  cruelty, 
as  well  as  the  grandest  act  of  divine  love,  was  about  to 
begin.  The  unfeeling  soldiers  now  tore  off  the  blood¬ 
stained  garments  from  the  sacred  body  of  Mary’s  immac¬ 
ulate  Son.  Alas,  what  agony  !  The  garments  had  clung 
to  the  bleeding  wounds,  which  were  now  again  torn  wide 
open  and  began  to  bleed  afresh.  Dear  Christian  reader, 
consider  all  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  must  have  suffered  at 
this  shocking  spectacle :  to  see  the  person  of  her  beloved 
Son  thus  shamefully  exposed  to  the  morbid  gaze  of  a  rude 
populace.  Can  it  be  that  the  innocent  Victim,  in  under¬ 
going  the  scourging,  had  not  suffered  punishment  more 


29  8  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

than  sufficient  to  atone  for  all  the  sins  that  ever  could  be 
committed  against  the  flesh  ? 

And  now  is  heard  the  sound  of  hammers.  Christian 
reader,  perhaps  you  have  heard  the  sound  of  earth  and 
stones  falling  upon  the  coffin  in  which  lay  the  lifeless 
body  of  one  whom  you  loved.  Yet  these  stones  and 
clods  of  heavy  earth  could  not  harm  your  departed 
friend.  What  must  have  been  the  emotions  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  as  she  saw  and  heard  every  blow  of  those 
heavy  hammers  as  they  fell  upon  the  palpitating  hands 
and  feet  of  her  living  Son  and  fastened  them  with  nails 
to  the  wood  of  the  cross  !  A  cold  sweat  started  forth  on 
the  pallid,  livid  brow  of  the  Mother  of  sorrows.  A  con¬ 
vulsive  shudder  ran  through  her  whole  frame  at  each 
blow  of  the  hammers,  and  her  own  nerves  and  sinews 
seemed  to  her  to  be  torn  asunder.  No  martyr  in  the 
flames  or  on  the  scaffold  ever  suffered  wrhat  the  Blessed 
Virgin  did  in  soul  and  body  during  these  few  awful  mo¬ 
ments.  But  God  sustained  His  creature,  and  she  sur¬ 
vived  it  all. 

Amid  wild  shrieks  of  savage  satisfaction  and  delight 
on  the  part  of  the  rabble,  the  heavy  cross  was  slowly 
raised  to  an  erect  position,  with  Jesus  hanging  upon  it. 
Now,  indeed,  for  the  first  time  does  the  afflicted  Mother 
obtain  a  full  and  uninterrupted  view  of  the  wound- 
covered,  blood-covered,  mangled  body  of  her  beloved 
Son. 

The  shaft  of  the  cross  is  now  straightened,  its  foot 
fastened  in  the  earth,  and  the  executioners  step  back 
some  distance  to  view  their  work  and  assure  themselves 
that  they  have  done  it  well.  “  Now  there  stood  by  the 
cross  of  Jesus,  His  Mother  and  His  Mother’s  sister,  Mary 
of  Cleophas  and  Mary  Magdalen.”  (John  xix.  25.)  St. 
John,  too,  the  beloved  disciple,  was  also  there,  as  he 
himself  tells  us  in  his  Gospel. 


Mary  Under  the  Cross. 

THE  THREE  HOURS’  AGONY  OF  MARY. 


299 


Three  hours  of  intense  suffering  followed  the  raising  of 
the  cross.  No  pen  can  describe,  no  heart  conceive  what 
Mary  suffered  in  union  with  her  dying  Son  during  these 
three  tedious  hours.  It  would  be  indescribable  and  as¬ 
tounding  even  if  she  had  not  suffered  previously.  It  was 
a  great  hardship  to  have  these  three  interminable  hours 
follow  close  upon  such  previous  affliction.  Writhing  with 
excruciating  pain,  the  Son  of  God  hangs  upon  the  tree  of 
disgrace  and  infamy.  He  hangs  between  two  thieves. 
He  hangs  naked  and  deserted  between  heaven  and  earth, 
as  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  And  all  the  time 
the  passers-by  deride  and  mock  Him,  and  wagging  their 
heads  taunt  Him,  saying  contemptuously:  “Vah,  Thou 
that  destroyest  the  Temple  of  God  and  in  three  days  dost 
rebuild  it,  save  Thy  own  self :  if  Thou  be  the  Son  of  God, 
come  down  from  the  cross.  In  like  manner  also  the  chief 
priests  with  the  scribes  and  the  ancients  mocking  said  : 
He  saved  others,  Himself  He  cannot  save :  if  He  be  the 
King  of  Israel,  let  Him  now  come  down  from  the  cross, 
and  we  will  believe  Him.  He  trusted  in  God,  let  Him 
now  deliver  Him,  if  He  will  have  Him :  for  He  said,  I  am 
the  Son  of  God.”  (Matt,  xxvii.  39-43.)  All  this  con¬ 
stituted  another  new  sorrow  for  Mary.  Every  word  of 
such  blasphemy  sent  a  pang  through  her  heart. 

In  close  proximity  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  the  soldiers 
sat  themselves  down  to  divide  the  spoils  taken  from 
their  poor  Victim,  separating  His  clothing  into  four 
parts.  His  outer  garment  was  without  seam  from  top  to 
bottom.  Mary  herself  had  woven  it  with  care  and  skill 
during  the  happy  days  at  Nazareth.  Then  the  soldiers 
said  one  to  another :  “  Let  us  not  cut  it,  but  let  us  cast 
lots  for  it  whose  it  shall  be.  That  the  Scripture  might 
be  fulfilled,  saying  :  They  have  parted  My  garments 


300  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

among  them  :  and  upon  My  vesture  they  have  cast  lots.” 
(John  xix.  23.)  This  was  another  source  of  grief  to 
Mary.  On  one  side,  the  heartlessness  of  these  creatures, 
to  gamble  in  the  very  presence  of  a  gasping,  bleeding, 
dying  victim  for  what  little  possessions  He  had  left.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  grieved  her  to  think  that  these  precious 
relics  of  the  Son  of  God  were  in  such  vulgar  hands,  to  be 
dishonored,  to  be  worn  by  these  men  in  their  drunken 
orgies  in  low  places  and  haunts  of  vice  and  corruption. 
But  in  the  height  of  all  her  sorrow,  she  noted  carefully 
the  one  to  whom  the  garment  was  awarded,  and  soon  pro¬ 
vided  means  to  redeem  it  from  his  hands  and  to  preserve 
it  carefully,  for  it  was  afterwards  to  become  one  of  the 
most  highly  prized  treasures  in  the  keeping  of  the  Church. 

Then  was  placed  at  the  top  of  the  cross  over  the 
divine  head  the  inscription  in  several  languages,  “Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  King  of  the  Jews.”  (John  xix.  19.)  As 
many  words,  so  many  thorns  in  Mary’s  mother-heart. 
Jesus  !  that  sweet  name,  at  the  mention  of  which  every 
knee  is  bent  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and  in  hell,  is  here  set 
up  as  a  sign  of  crime  and  folly,  to  be  blasphemed  and 
mocked  openly  by  ignorant,  sinful  men.  “Nazareth.” 
O  what  a  host  of  fond  recollections  this  word  stirs  up 
in  Mary’s  heart!  “King  of  the  Jews.”  Yes,  King  in 
reality  and  truth.  And  not  only  the  King,  but  also  the 
God  of  the  Jews.  Herein  lies  the  deep  malice  of  this 
day’s  doings  :  in  having  taken  the  life  of  their  King  and 
God. 


THREE  DARK  HOURS. 

To  all  the  griefs  and  terrors  of  Jesus’  Mother  as  she 
stood  beneath  the  cross  was  added  still  another  terror. 
For  the  evangelist  St.  Matthew  relates  that,  from  the 
sixth  hour  to  the  ninth,  a  great  darkness  covered  the 


Mary  Under  the  Cross . 


3QI 


whole  earth.  According  to  our  mode  of  reckoning  time, 
the  crucifixion  took  place  about  midday,  or  some  time 
before  twelve  o’clock.  Hence,  according  to  the  opinion 
of  most  writers,  Christ  would  have  been  hanging  on  the 
cross,  for  a  short  time  at  least,  before  the  earthquake 
began.  We  may  suppose  easily  and  with  truth  that  the 
heavenly  Father  wished  to  punish  and  rebuke  in  this 
dreadful  way  those  frightful  blasphemies  against  His 
Son,  and  to  stop  the  mouths  of  the  blasphemers. 

Anxiety  of  soul,  remorse  of  conscience  for  the  late 
dreadful  enactments,  despair,  consternation,  fear  of  still 
greater  terrors  to  come,  seized  upon  the  crowd  on  Calvary 
and  throughout  all  Jerusalem.  Defiant  and  furious  as 
they  had  been  before,  they  were  now  cowed  into  fear. 
But  all  through  the  thickest  of  the  darkness,  Mary  con¬ 
tinued  to  stand  at  the  cross  of  Jesus.  During  an  occa¬ 
sional  moment  of  solemn  and  oppressive  stillness,  the 
afflicted  Mother  could  plainly  hear  a  suppressed  moan 
and  even  the  heavy,  painful  breathing  of  the  agonizing 
Jesus.  Yet  she  stood,  and  stood  motionless,  prayerful, 
grieving,  and  courageous,  with  her  aching  head  reclining 
against  the  lower  part  of  the  cross. 

INTERCESSION  AND  PARDON. 

The  sorrowing  Mother  now  began  to  hope  and  to  desire 
most  fervently  that,  owing  to  the  indescribable  suffering 
which  her  Son  had  passed  through,  by  reason  of  the  ex¬ 
cessive  weakness  consequent  upon  the  copious  loss  of 
blood,  as  well  as  from  the  dreadful  position  in  which  He 
was  suspended  with  the  whole  weight  of  His  body  hanging 
upon  the  nails,  all  this  would  deprive  Jesus  of  conscious¬ 
ness  and  render  Him  insensible  to  pain.  But  she  soon 
had  evidence  that  all  His  faculties  were  as  strong  and  as 


302  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

keenly  alive  to  every  circumstance  surrounding  and  at¬ 
tending  Him  as  they  had  ever  been. 

The  suffering  Saviour  began  to  speak.  What  is  He 
about  to  say  ?  Does  He  utter  grievous  lamentation  and 
complaint,  or  perhaps  a  word  of  comfort  to  His  Mother  ? 
No.  There  are  matters  and  persons  that  seem  to  be 
nearer  to  Him  during  these  awful  moments — nearer  even 
than  Mary  to  the  divine  heart  in  its  last  pulsations. 

“  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.” 
(Luke  xxiii.  34.)  Such  the  strange  words  that  are  heard 
from  the  top  of  the  cross,  sounding  solemnly  in  the  dark¬ 
ness.  At  once  the  divine  Mother  is,  reminded,  though 
she  had  never  forgotten  it,  of  the  aim  and  object  of  these 
sufferings.  She  recognizes  the  noble,  magnanimous  heart 
of  her  own  Son.  These  are  words  of  prayer,  of  interces¬ 
sion,  of  excuse  and  palliation,  spoken  by  the  wronged  and 
murdered  Jesus  in  behalf  of  His  tormentors.  With  what 
inward  fervor  did  the  blessed  Mother  of  sinners  unite 
all  her  merits,  all  her  sufferings,  her  whole  heart  and  soul 
with  this  intercessory  prayer  uttered  by  Jesus  in  aid  of 
blind  humanity ! 

Now  another  interval  of  silence  prevails.  Presently 
one  of  the  thieves  who  was  crucified  with  Jesus,  the  one 
at  His  right  hand,  touched  inwardly  by  divine  grace,  and 
moved  to  pity  at  the  sight  of  the  Redeemer’s  excessive 
sufferings,  said  to  Him  :  “  Lord,  remember  me  when  Thou 
shalt  come  into  Thy  kingdom.”  Jesus  replied  at  once  : 
“  Amen,  I  say  to  thee,  this  day  thou  shalt  be  with  Me  in 
Paradise.”  Now  how  was  this  malefactor  thus  suddenly 
inspired  with  such  sentiments  of  pious  faith  ?  Tradition 
states  that  he  was  the  same  person  who  years  previous 
had  afforded  protection  and  shelter  to  Mary  and  the 
Infant  Jesus  when  they  were  fleeing  into  Egypt  from  the 
wrath  of  Herod,  and  that  now  grace  of  repentance  and 
remission  of  his  sins  were  extended  to  him  by  the  dying 


Mary  Under  the  Cross. 


3°3 

Jesus  in  gratitude  for  that  act  of  charity.  This  tradition 
we  are  at  liberty  to  accept  or  reject.  Yet  we  may  safely 
attribute  his  conversion  and  forgiveness  to  the  interces¬ 
sion  of  the  Mother  of  sorrows.  Yes,  the  compassionate 
heart  of  Mary  sympathized  indeed  with  the  sufferings  of 
her  Son,  but  it  sympathized  keenly  also  with  the  lesser 
sufferings  of  His  two  crucified  companions,  sinners  though 
they  were.  But  above  all  it  grieved  her  compassionate 
heart  to  think  that  the  souls  of  these  two  dying  men 
should  be  in  danger  of  being  lost  within  sight  and  hear¬ 
ing,  in  the  very  presence  of  the  Redeemer  who  was  at 
that  very  moment  dying  to  save  them.  From  the  very 
depths  of  her  troubled  heart  there  ascended  to  the  arms 
and  head  of  the  cross,  and  thence  up  to  heaven  itself, 
silent  but  fervent  prayer  for  their  immortal  souls.  At 
such  a  moment  and  in  such  circumstances  such  a  prayer 
could  not  fail  of  its  object.  Mary’s  heart-wish  was  granted. 
One  was  saved  ;  the  other,  too,  would  have  found  the  grace 
of  repentance  had  he  not  by  his  inexcusable  and  uncalled- 
for  blasphemy  rendered  himself  unworthy  of  it. 

O  gentle,  loving,  merciful,  tearful,  prayerful  Mother,  I 
thank  thee  for  this  gracious  act  of  mercy  which  thou 
didst  accomplish  under  the  cross  of  thy  divine  Son.  By 
the  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  His  sufferings,  I  beseech 
thee,  by  thy  own  sufferings  I  conjure  thee,  that  in  my 
hour  of  death  thou  wilt  also  combat  for  my  soul’s  safety, 
praying  and  importuning  that,  notwithstanding  my  many 
sins  and  my  base  ingratitude,  I  may  hear  from  the  lips  of 
my  Redeemer  :  “  Verily,  I  say  to  thee,  this  day  thou  shalt 
be  with  Me  in  Paradise.” 


304  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

BEHOLD  THY  SON!  BEHOLD  THY  MOTHER! 

IT  was  in  capacity  of  the  world’s  Redeemer  that  Jesus 
died  upon  the  cross.  Hence  the  first  and  chief  object 
of  His  sufferings  and  of  His  care  and  solicitude  was  the 
human  family  in  general.  Yet  He  could  not  and  did  not 
forget  the  person  of  His  beloved  Mother  who  had  so  faith¬ 
fully  stood  by  Him  in  His  hour  of  suffering.  To  the 
angelic  St.  John,  His  best  beloved  apostle,  who  had  fol¬ 
lowed  at  His  side  through  all  His  sufferings,  the  dying 
Son  entrusts  the  precious  treasure  for  keeping,  and  leaves 
to  His  care  during  her  sojourn  on  earth  His  now  weeping 
and  desolate  Mother. 

THE  son’s  SOLICITUDE. — THE  MOTHER’S  GRIEF. 

“When  Jesus  therefore  had  seen  His  Mother  and  the 
disciple  standing,  whom  he  loved,  He  saith  to  His  mother : 
Woman,  behold  thy  son.  After  that  He  saith  to  the 
disciple,  Behold  thy  mother.”  (John  xix.  26.) 

In  these  few  and  simple  words,  Christian  reader,  you 
may  perceive  the  solicitude  of  the  divine  Jesus  for  His  sor¬ 
rowful  Mother ;  the  new  sorrow  of  the  Mother  herself ; 
the  happy  privilege  and  distinction  conferred  upon  the 
beloved  disciple ;  and  also  the  happiness  that  comes  to  us 
from  these  ever-blessed  words  of  Our  Saviour. 

The  filial  solicitude  of  the  divine  Son.  In  the  midst 
of  his  own  unspeakable  pain,  Our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
thought  not  of  Himself,  but  rather  of  the  one  dearest  to 
His  heart.  True,  He  does  not  point  her  out  by  the  sweet 


Behold  Thy  Sou  !  Behold  Thy  Mother  / 


3°5 


and  sacred  name  of  mother ;  for  He  wishes  to  spare  her 
the  mockery  and  the  obloquy  which  even  this  exalted 
name  would  bring  upon  her  from  the  unfeeling 
enemy.  Moreover,  the  mention  of  this  endearing  epithet 
would  but  intensify  the  grief  which  was  already  wasting 
her  tender  and  sensitive  heart.  Both  Son  and  Mother 
were  called  upon  in  this  hour  to  endure  a  sacrifice  of  the 
most  sublime  self-denial  towards  each  other.  How  gladly 
would  Jesus  have  taken  His  Mother  with  Him  into  the 
realms  of  bliss  and  peace  !  How  just  and  proper  it  would 
seem  that  she  should  be  the  first,  after  her  divine  Son,  to 
take  possession  of  eternal  glory !  But  the  time  had  not 
yet  come.  For,  according  to  the  wise  decrees  of  divine 
Providence,  her  presence  on  earth  was  still  necessary  to 
the  Apostles  and  the  young  and  struggling  Church.  She 
was  to  be  a  bond  of  unity,  love,  and  strength.  But,  though 
she  was  to  be  deprived  of  the  bodily  presence  of  her  Son 
on  earth,  He  bequeathed  to  her  in  His  dying  moments,  as 
her  own  peculiar  treasure  on  earth,  the  pure  and  virginal 
St.  John.  This  chaste  soul  was  the  most  suitable  and 
most  worthy  among  all  men  to  become  a  substitute  for 
Jesus  with  the  bereaved  Mother.  To  Him  could  she  with 
the  least  difficulty  transfer  the  affection  which  she  cher¬ 
ished  for  her  own  Son. 

Consider  the  renewed  grief  of  the  divine  Mother  !  Of 
course,  the  fond  Mother  and  humble  handmaid  of  the  Lord 
knew  how  to  appreciate  the  tender  solicitude  of  her  dying 
Son,  and  she  therefore  sent  up  a  glance  of  grateful  ac¬ 
knowledgment  to  His  sorrowing  countenance.  Yet  it  also 
brought  at  the  same  time  a  new  pang  to  her  soul.  It  was 
a  divine  confirmation  of  what  she  had  dreaded  for  years 
past.  It  was  a  deep  and  bitter  verification  of  an  old 
foreboding  on  which  she  hardly  allowed  herself  to  think ; 
namely,  that  she  was  to  lose  her  only  beloved  and  greatest 
good.  She  knew  not  how  she  could  live  without  Jesus. 

20 


306  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a7id  Suffered. 

And,  alas,  what  a  sad  exchange  it  was  !  John  was  to  re¬ 
place  Jesus.  Instead  of  her  Child,  the  servant  was  to  be 
given  to  her.  The  son  of  a  Zebedee  to  be  a  substitute  for 
the  Son  of  God,  a  man  instead  of  her  Lord  and  God. 

Yet  still  another  deep  and  copious  fountain  of  sorrow 
began  to  flow  upon  the  heart  of  Mary,  when  she  slowly 
withdrew  her  tearful  gaze  from  the  face  of  Jesus,  and 
cast  her  weeping  eyes  upon  the  cold  and  indifferent 
world  that  lay  in  darkness  around  and  about  this  moun¬ 
tain  of  Calvary.  St.  John  being  the  only  disciple  that 
had  remained  true  and  faithful  among  the  apostles,  was 
the  sole  representative  on  earth  of  the  true  Church,  of 
members,  and  of  children.  To  this  holy  Church  had  the 
dying  Saviour  entrusted  His  own  beloved  Mother.  John 
alone  was  present  to  accept  this  charge.  To  the  Church 
was  Mary  to  belong.  The  glorious  Virgin  was  to  be  its 
protectress  during  all  time.  What  a  momentous  position 
to  be  assigned  to  the  simple  maiden  of  Nazareth  !  And 
what  kind  of  children  was  she  destined  to  find  in  the 
Church  ?  Some  few  faithful  sons  and  daughters ;  but 
many  rebellious  ones,  too,  who  were  to  give  her  pain  in¬ 
stead  of  joy.  Many  among  them  would  prove  false  and 
be  a  disgrace  to  her.  Many  would  be  lukewarm  and 
afford  her  but  little  consolation.  She  felt  as  if  she  would 
gladly  open  out  her  motherly  heart,  and  pour  forth  the 
fulness  of  her  motherly  love  over  the  entire  world  and 
into  the  hearts  of  all  the  children  of  men.  Next  to  John, 
her  heart  goes  out  to  the  first  penitent  in  the  Church,  the 
pardoned  thief  on  his  cross,  who  is  the  next  one  to  her 
to  be  loved  after  St.  John. 

What  a  distinguishing  privilege  for  the  Beloved  Dis¬ 
ciple  !  For  him,  too,  it  was  an  unspeakable  grief  to  stand 
helpless  at  the  cross  of  his  beloved  Master.  With  the 
last  breath  of  Jesus  St.  John  would  lose  his  only  good  on 
earth,  his  Father  and  Friend,  his  all  in  this  world.  And 


Behold  Thy  Son  /  Behold  Thy  Mother  t  307 

who  would  repair  this  loss  ?  Who  else  but  Mary  could 
fill  the  void  in  his  desolate  soul  ?  The  purity  and  fidelity 
of  this  angelic  disciple  were  to  be  honored  and  rewarded 
by  the  possession  of  the  immaculate  Virgin.  His  true 
and  self-sacrificing  love  was  to  be  rewarded  by  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  her  who  was  full  of  grace.  She  was  to  be  the 
comforting  refuge,  the  help  and  encouragement  of  St. 
John  and  of  all  the  other  apostles.  Very  properly  and 
beautifully  does  Theophilus  say :  “  Behold  how  the 

Saviour  honors  His  disciple,  by  giving  to  him  for  a  mother 
the  Mother  of  God  herself,  thus  constituting  him  to  be 
His  own  brother.  So  does  God  reward  those  who  are  true 
to  the  cross  and  who  till  the  last  moment  of  their  lives 
follow  their  loving  Master  and  stand  under  His  cross.” 

THE  JOY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Everything  that  our  blessed  Saviour  did,  suffered,  and 
thought  on  the  cross  had  some  bearing  on  the  completion 
of  our  salvation.  Being  both  Priest  and  Victim,  He  could 
not  will  otherwise  than  to  make  straight  and  easy  our 
road  to  eternal  happiness.  Hence  it  was  not  merely  the 
promptings  of  an  individual  love  for  Mary  and  St.  John 
only  that  led  the  Saviour  to  pronounce  this  last  will  and 
testament.  These  words,  “  Behold  thy  son  ;  behold  thy 
mother,”  contain  and  express  the  mystery  of  unbounded 
love  which  Jesus  entertained  for  all  men,  more  especially 
for  those  in  the  household  of  the  faith, — for  the  Church 
which  is  appointed  and  authorized  to  lead  men  to  their 
salvation.  St.  Lawrence  Justinian  explains  these  words 
very  aptly,  by  thus  paraphrasing  the  Saviour’s  words  to 
His  Mother  :  “  Behold  thy  son  ;  for  he  bears  in  himself 

an  image  of  the  Church,  who  is  an  immaculate  spouse. 
This  Church  I  leave  to  thee  in  the  person  of  My  dis¬ 
ciple.  Love  it  in  him,  and  you  will  love  Me.  Strengthen 


308  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered, \ 

it  by  your  exhortation,  fortify  it  by  your  good  counsel, 
direct  it  by  your  holy  example.  It  is  My  desire  that 
henceforth  thou  shalt  treat  it  as  thy  child,  protect  it  by 
thy  intercession,  and  finally  that  thou  lead  it  to  Me 
enriched  with  virtues  and  merits.  To  the  Church,  too,  I 
will  give  instructions,  and  make  it  its  duty  that  it  honor 
thee  as  its  Mother,  that  it  love  thee,  and  that  it  adopt 
thee  as  its  refuge,  that  it  appoint  thee  its  mediatrix  be¬ 
tween  God  and  itself  (its  members),  that  it  shall  call  on 
thee  in  times  of  danger,  consult  thee  in  doubt,  and  pray 
to  thee  in  all  necessities.  I  do  moreover  take  care 
that  all  the  faithful  shall  apply  to  thee,  and  that  thy 
name  shall  be  loved  and  honored  from  generation  to 
generation.  Whoever  shall  call  upon  thee  shall  not  be 
despised,  nor  estranged  from  Me.  By  means  of  an  in¬ 
dissoluble  band  of  love,  I  bind  thee  to  My  Church,  and 
My  Church  to  thee.”  (St.  Laurent.  Just.  De  Triumph 
Christi  Agone.) 

Glorious  inheritance !  Bequest  of  happiness  and  bless¬ 
ings  !  It  was  not  enough  for  the  love  of  Jesus  to  have 
restored  heaven  to  us  by  His  life  and  death,  and  even  to 
have  given  us  Himself  by  the  institution  of  the  eucharistic 
mystery  of  the  altar,  He  wished  also  to  give  us  His  dearest 
Mother.  Thus  did  he  love  us,  and  love  us  to  the  end. 

And  how  faithfully  and  efficiently  this  loving  Mother 
has  ever  discharged  her  sublime  maternal  duties  towards 
the  Church.  To  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  nothing  is 
dearer  on  earth  than  His  beloved  spouse  the  Catholic 
Church  !  Hence  she  has  always  been  found  worthy  and 
been  privileged  to  follow  His  dreary  way  of  suffering. 
The  same  contempt  and  mockery  which  the  Jews  heaped 
upon  the  head  of  her  divine  Founder  have  been  con¬ 
tinually  repeated,  and  again  and  again  hurled  at  the  face 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  though  in  the  midst  of  it  all  she 
has  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  her  way,  going  forward 


Behold  Thy  Son!  Behold  Thy  Mother !  309 

through  the  world,  sanctifying  and  blessing  all  who  come 
within  her  saving  influence.  But  Mary,  too,  the  heroic 
and  protecting  Mother,  has  persisted  in  following  the  cross 
and  in  standing  under  it,  which  the  Church  has  never 
ceased  to  carry  during  all  ages.  In  the  midst  of  storm 
and  gloom,  she  has  never  failed  to  shine  forth  brightly 
and  cheerfully,  like  a  guiding  star  to  the  tempest-tossed 
mariner. 

Of  you,  too,  Christian  reader,  our  dying  Saviour  was 
not  unmindful ;  for  He  gave  you  as  a  favorite  child  of  His 
own  to  be  a  favorite  child  of  His  Mother  also.  To  you 
individually  may  be  referred  the  words,  the  sweet  words : 
“  Son,  behold  thy  Mother.”  And  has  she  not  at  all  times 
shown  herself  to  be  your  good  and  loving  Mother?  Has 
she  not  exercised  in  your  behalf  all  the  forbearance,  com¬ 
passion,  solicitude  of  a  mother?  Certainly  it  is  something 
consoling,  magnificent,  and  entrancing  for  a  poor  creature 
to  be  beloved  by  the  King  of  eternal  glory.  But  what 
the  human  heart  craves  and  requires  most,  next  to  the 
love  of  God,  is  the  love  of  a  mother.  Yes,  Mary  loves 
your  soul  with  a  love  peculiar  in  its  kind,  with  a  mother’s 
love. 

Tender  and  affectionate  Redeemer,  with  my  whole  heart 
I  thank  Thee  for  having  given  Thy  own  beloved  Mother  to 
be  my  Mother.  I  thank  Thee  for  desiring,  even  in  Thy  last 
agonized  moments,  to  add  to  all  other  countless  blessings 
this  convincing  proof  of  Thy  tender  love  for  me. 

Most  tender  and  loving  Mother,  Mary  !  Yes,  it  is  with 
delight  and  pride  of  heart  that  I  call  thee  my  loving 
Mother.  With  all  the  candor  of  a  loving  child’s  heart  I 
thank  Thee  for  having,  even  under  the  tree  of  the  cross, 
adopted  me  as  thy  child.  I  bless  thee,  because  thou 
hast  not  rejected  me  and  cast  me  from  thee,  although 
thou  didst  know  that  I  would  turn  out  to  be  a  disobe¬ 
dient,  faithless,  wicked  child.  Yes,  Mother  of  mercy,  it 


3io  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered \ 


is  a  touching  sight  to  behold  a  happy  mother  pressing 
her  innocent,  laughing,  playing  child  upon  her  loving 
bosom.  But  the  truest,  deepest,  and  fairest  features  of  a 
mother’s  love  are  shown  forth  when  her  anxious,  sym¬ 
pathizing  eye  rests  upon  her  sick  child.  Such  a  sickly 
child  has  my  soul  ever  been,  weakened  by  sin  and  disobe¬ 
dience.  Cast  then,  most  loving  Mother,  thy  healing  and 
sanctifying  eyes  upon  me.  Do  not  turn  them  away  from 
me,  even  should  I  be  so  unhappy  as  to  still  further  offend 
thy  divine  Son. 

Most  deeply  venerated  Mother,  I  pray  thee  with  all 
the  ardor  of  a  simple  child  that  thou  wouldst  forgive  me 
for  having  thus  far  shown  thee  so  little  filial  regard  and 
love.  I  now  understand  and  acknowledge  how  rightfully 
thou  canst  lay  claim  to  my  gratitude  and  affection.  I 
therefore  pronounce  in  thy  presence  a  solemn  promise, 
that  I  shall  strive  earnestly  to  make  myself  worthy  of 
thy  mother’s  love  and  mother’s  protection.  Frail,  weak, 
and  vacillating  as  I  am,  I  shall  continue  to  be  thy  devoted 
child.  To  thee  I  surrender  my  soul.  Sanctify  it,  and 
conduct  it  before  the  throne  of  the  divine  Judge.  Be  with 
me  always  as  my  motherly  intercessor.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XL. 


MARY  AT  THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS. 


ABANDONED  BY  GOD. 


MID  the  most  excruciating  tortures  the  Lamb  of  God 


T*.  hangs  upon  the  cross.  A  miracle  of  justice  on  the 
part  of  the  eternal  Father  sustains  the  life  of  the  world’s 
Redeemer.  The  sorrowing  Mother  moves  not  from  her 
position  under  the  cross.  With  the  unchanged  and  un- 


Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus.  31 1 

changeable  heroism  of  a  martyr  she  holds  out  bravely 
through  the  chilling  gloom  and  darkness,  notwithstanding 
the  new  burden  now  placed  upon  her ;  namely,  the  mother¬ 
hood  of  the  human  family.  With  apparently  never-ending 
tediousness,  the  moments  pass  slowly  away. 

“  And  about  the  ninth  hour,  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying :  Eli,  Eli,  lamma  sabacthani  ?  that  is  :  My 
God,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  Me  ?  ”  (Matt 
xxvii.  46.)  Oh,  what  a  cry  of  terror  to  reach  a  mother’s 
ear !  The  excess  of  His  anguish  had  forced  this  cry  from 
the  dying  Saviour’s  breast.  To  Mary’s  soul  it  told  of  ex¬ 
cessive  agony,  both  for  Jesus  and  for  herself.  Not,  in¬ 
deed,  that  the  heavenly  Father  had  in  reality  abandoned 
His  divine  Son,  nor  had  the  divine  nature  in  Jesus  been 
separated  from  the  human  ;  but  the  whole  force  of  con¬ 
centrated,  unspeakable  pain  and  anguish  pressed  so 
heavily  on  that  same  human  nature,  that  it  required  a 
divine,  a  miraculous  support  not  to  succumb.  At  the 
same  time  these  words  of  the  Saviour  reveal  a  very  sea, 
a  tumultuous  sea,  of  deep  anguish  of  soul,  of  frightful 
desolation  of  spirit,  and  apparent  abandonment  by  heaven. 
Oh,  how  deeply  the  Mother  could  now  see  into  the  desolate, 
abandoned  heart  of  her  Son  !  But  how  glorious  the 
thought,  Christian  reader  !  While  the  heavenly  Father, 
out  of  justice,  conceals  His  sacred  countenance  from  His 
only  begotten  Son,  and  delivers  Him  up  to  the  most  ex¬ 
treme  and  distressing  desolation,  the  Mother  still  stands 
as  close  to  the  cross  as  may  be,  and  all  because  of  love. 
She  is  His  Mother !  She  will  not,  she  cannot,  abandon 
her  Son.  O  tender  Mother !  May  it  never  happen  to 
me  of  my  own  fault  that  God  would  abandon  me,  and 
deprive  me  of  his  grace  and  love,  by  reason  of  my  ini¬ 
quities.  But  do  thou  at  least  remain  near  to  me,  with 
protection  and  thy  love.  Mother  of  Mercy,  do  not 
abandon  me  in  my  last  agony. 


312  How  the  Blessed  Virgm  Lived  and  Suffered. 

“  i  THIRST.” 

“  Afterwards  Jesus  knowing  that  all  things  were  now 
accomplished,  that  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  said : 
I  thirst.  Now  there  was  a  vessel  set  there  full  of  vinegar. 
And  they,  putting  a  sponge  full  of  vinegar  about  hyssop, 
put  it  to  His  mouth.”  (John  xix.  28,  29.)  How  terrible 
must  have  been  the  thirst  of  the  Saviour  !  Not  a  word  of 
complaint  had  escaped  His  lips  amid  all  His  other  tor¬ 
ments,  not  even  when  the  nails  were  piercing  His  hands 
and  feet.  But  the  burning  fever  that  parched  His  every 
member  forced  from  Him  the  heartrending  complaint,  “  I 
thirst.”  Oh,  how  cruelly  the  blessed  Redeemer  had  to 
atone  for  the  gluttony  and  sensuality  of  many  children  of 
men,  who  eat  and  drink  to  excess!  And  the  pitying 
Mother,  the  self-same  compassionate  Mother  who,  at  the 
wedding  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  had  persuaded  her  Son  to 
work  a  miracle,  lest  the  guests  should  suffer  a  slight  in¬ 
convenience  from  the  scarcity  of  wine,  has  not  now  a  drop 
of  water  to  offer  to  that  same  Son  ;  not  a  drop  to  moisten 
His  fainting  lips  and  tongue.  Certainly  the  consciousness 
of  her  utter  helplessness,  the  knowledge  that  she  was  un¬ 
able  to  relieve  her  suffering  Son,  even  with  a  cup  of  cold 
water,  constituted  a  new  and  unspeakable  sorrow.  With 
the  uncertain  aid  of  a  feeble  lantern-light,  she  gazed  up¬ 
ward  towards  the  face  of  her  fast-expiring  child.  She 
saw  the  swollen,  trembling,  dried  lips ;  she  perceived  the 
sickly  moisture  of  the  death-sweat  on  His  brow.  She 
could  render  no  assistance,  give  no  relief.  To  the  soldiers 
on  guard  she  directed  a  timid,  imploring  look.  One  of 
them  gave  Him  vinegar,  in  order  that  what  his  royal  an¬ 
cestor  had  foretold  might  be  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  “  And 
they  gave  Me  gall  for  My  food :  and  in  My  thirst,  they 
gave  Me  vinegar  to  drink.”  (Psalm  lxviii.  22.)  Thus  did 
that  holy  land,  that  land  so  beloved  and  blessed  by  God, 


Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus.  313 

that  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  offer  to  the  dying 
Redeemer  only  vinegar  and  bitter  gall. 

“  IT  IS  CONSUMMATED.” 

“  Jesus,  therefore,  when  He  had  taken  the  vinegar,  cried 
out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying:  Father,  into  Thy  hands  I 
commend  My  spirit.”  (John  xix.  30.)  The  moment  is 
now  approaching,  O  Mother  of  sorrows,  for  which  thou  hast 
been  prepared  by  a  long  train  of  graces  and  afflictions. 
11  It  is  consummated.”  The  great  work  entrusted  by  the 
eternal  Father  to  His  only  begotten  Son,  the  great  act  of 
combined  justice  and  mercy,  to  which  thou,  O  most  ex¬ 
alted  of  mothers,  hast  contributed  so  largely  and  so  gen¬ 
erously,  to  which  thou  hast  given  thy  flat,  “  Be  it  done,”  is 
now  completed.  To  His  Father’s  hands  Jesus  commends 
His  departing  spirit.  But  thou  must  remain  to  pass  a 
still  longer  period  of  time  in  this  vale  of  tears,  deprived, 
too,  of  the  outward  presence  of  thy  Son,  and  renewing 
again  for  a  longer  time  the  anguish  that  well-nigh  cost 
thee  thy  life,  when  for  three  days  only  thou  wast  deprived 
of  His  presence,  on  the  occasion  of  His  remaining  behind 
in  the  Temple  at  the  tender  age  of  twelve  years. 

“  And  when  He  had  said  these  words,  bowing  His  head, 
He  gave  up  the  ghost.”  In  death,  at  last,  the  Son  bows 
down  His  head  towards  His  afflicted  Mother.  Even  till 
death  His  spirit  dwells  with  her.  In  and  after  death 
His  love  is  still  with  her. 

But  what  effect  has  this  awful  death  of  the  Son  of  God 
produced  in  the  heart  of  the  Blessed  Virgin?  When  His 
soul  took  leave  of  His  body,  when  the  Saviour  of  men  ex¬ 
pired,  the  great  curtain  which  hung  in  the  Temple  was  rent 
in  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  The  earth  trembled, 
the  rocks  were  split,  the  graves  were  opened,  and  the 
bodies  of  many  of  the  departed  saints  came  forth  and 


314  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

stalked  in  winding-sheets  over  the  earth.  Then  the  cen« 
turion,  a  roughly  honest  man,  pagan  soldier  though  he 
was,  gave  glory  to  God,  saying :  “  Indeed  this  was  a  just 
man.”  The  crowds  of  people  whom  these  dreadful  events 
had  called  out  from  the  city  and  the  surrounding  country, 
on  hearing  and  seeing  all  these  terrible  signs,  returned 
home  striking  their  breasts  in  consternation  and  alarm. 
If,  Christian  reader,  inanimate  nature,  and  men  with  little 
fear  and  less  knowledge  of  the  ways  of  God,  trembled  and 
wept  at  sight  of  the  occurrences  on  Calvary,  what  must 
have  been  the  sentiments  of  Mary’s  agitated  soul,  of  her 
believing  and  loving  soul,  during  this  dreadful  tragedy  ? 

O  sorrowful  Mother !  sorrowful  unto  death,  it  is  beyond 
my  powers  to  describe  the  agony  which  thou  underwent 
when  Jesus  died.  Let  me  weep  with  thee.  Let  me  weep 
at  thy  afflictions,  weep  for  the  death  of  thy  beloved  Son, 
my  Saviour ;  weep  over  my  sins,  and  the  sins  of  my  fel¬ 
low-men  ;  for  sin  is  the  cause  of  this  agony,  the  source  of 
this  awful  death  of  Jesus.  O  best  of  mothers  !  be  mindful 
of  thy  dreadful  grievances  for  my  sake.  Especially,  holy 
Mother,  be  mindful  of  them  at  the  hour  of  my  death ;  I 
implore  thee  to  be  with  me  as  a  protecting  mother  when 
my  soul  shall  be  leaving  this  earth. 

'*  v 

THE  THRUST  OF  THE  LANCE. 

Mary’s  sorrows  were  not  to  end  even  after  the  death  of 
her  blessed  Son.  She  still  remained  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross,  in  tears,  and  with  aching  heart,  though  naught  now 
remained  save  the  mangled,  cold,  and  lifeless  body  of  her 
Son.  Now  the  soldiers  once  more  approach  with  their 
implements,  and  cruelly  break  the  legs  of  the  two  thieves, 
in  order  to  hasten  their  death  and  thus  have  their  bodies 
removed  before  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath,  which 
commenced  at  sundown.  But  when  the  executioners  came 


Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus .  315 

to  the  cross  of  Jesus,  and  ascertained  that  He  was  really 

I  dead,  they  refrained  from  breaking  His  legs.  One  of 

them,  however,  as  if  to  make  doubly  sure,  plunged  a  spear 
deep  into  the  flesh  of  His  side.  From  this  horrid  gash 
issued  a  stream  of  blood  and  water.  Although  the  sacred 
body  of  Jesus  did  not  feel  this  last  indignity,  a  deep  and 
painful  wound  was  inflicted  on  Mary’s  bleeding  heart. 
At  the  same  time,  our  virgin  Mother  apprehended  clearly 
the  great  mystery  signified  by  this  wound  in  the  side  of 
the  lifeless  Jesus,  and  more  especially  by  the  stream 
of  mingled  blood  and  water.  As  from  the  side  of  Adam, 
the  first  bridegroom,  our  mother  Eve  was  drawn  forth  by 
the  hand  of  God,  so  was  the  holy  bride  to  derive  her  life, 
and  light,  and  strength,  and  all  grace,  from  the  side  of 
her  divine  Bridegroom,  Jesus,  the  second  Adam.  This 
mingled  blood  and  water  was  to  flow  on  till  the  end  of 
time  in  the  seven  mighty  streams  of  the  holy  sacraments — 
especially  in  the  holy  Sacrament  of  Baptism,  and  in  the 
still  holier  Sacrament  of  the  Altar — to  cleanse,  strengthen, 
and  comfort  all  who  would  drink  of  their  refreshing  cur¬ 
rents.  During  these  solemn  moments  the  Mother  of  God 
perceived  in  spirit  and  understood  the  immeasurable  and 
countless  benefits  and  fruits  of  salvation  produced  by  the 
sufferings  and  death  of  Christ.  To  all  these  merits  she 
prayed  to  be  permitted  to  add  her  own  sufferings,  and 
especially  the  merit  resulting  from  the  dreadful  anguish 
undergone  in  this  last  atrocity,  when  the  laceration  of 
Jesus’  side  tore  also  her  poor  heart  in  twain. 

THE  DESCENT  FROM  THE  CROSS. 

Towards  nightfall,  two  men  appeared  with  some  at¬ 
tendants  and  the  implements  necessary  to  take  the  body 
of  the  Lord  down  from  the  cross.  These  were  two  zeal¬ 
ous  adherents  of  Jesus,  and  they  were  called,  respectively, 


316  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus,  The  former  had 
obtained  from  Pilate  authority  to  take  away  the  dead 
body  of  Jesus.  What  a  glorious  privilege  to  be  permitted 
to  secure  so  priceless  a  treasure  ! 

With  profound  reverence,  these  two  faithful  friends 
approach  the  sorrowing  Mother,  who  still  stands  leaning 
against  the  foot  of  the  cross,  absorbed  in  melancholy  yet 
calm  and  resigned  meditation  on  the  awful  mysteries  that 
have  just  transpired.  With  gentle  word  and  kindly  mien 
they  seek  to  comfort  and  cheer  her  depressed  heart;  beg¬ 
ging  her  to  withdraw  for  a  few  moments,  as  the  duty  they 
were  now  to  discharge — of  taking  down  the  wounded  and 
lacerated  body  of  Jesus — would  be  to  her  a  renewal  of  her 
grief.  These  good  and  kind  men  would  not  have  Mary 
see  the  operation.  But  they  forgot  that  love  is  stronger 
than  death ;  they  knew  not  that  Mary’s  love  was  strongest 
of  all  loves.  As  long  as  she  could  see  her  beloved  Son, 
even  though  it  was  but  His  soulless  body,  she  would  not 
turn  her  eyes  to  other  object.  At  length  the  sacred  body 
had  been  carefully  detached  from  the  cross,  the  nails  were 
removed  from  hands  and  feet,  the  thorny  crown  was  de¬ 
tached  from  His  head,  loving  and  reverent  hands  held 
the  precious  remains.  But  where  should  these  lifeless 
remains  rest,  if  not  on  the  bosom  of  the  fond  Mother  ? — • 
on  that  tender  bosom  on  which,  in  infancy  and  youth, 
when  full  of  life  and  beauty,  Jesus  had  often  before  re¬ 
posed.  What  a  heart-moving  spectacle,  dear  reader,  is 
here  presented  for  your  study,  comfort,  and  edification  ! 

On  the  cold  earth  of  Calvary  sits  Mary,  overcome  with 
sorrow,  terror,  and  exhaustion,  her  frame  weakened  and 
shattered  after  two  days  of  the  most  wasting  excitement, 
without  food  or  sleep  to  refresh  her.  Yet  from  her 
comely  countenance,  pale,  worn,  and  haggard  as  it  was 
from  excessive  grief,  an  ineffable  peace  of  soul  seemed 
to  beam  forth.  When  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  disfigured 


Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus.  317 

features  of  the  body  of  Jesus,  it  seemed  as  if  her  heart 
would  cease  to  beat,  and  freeze  in  very  death,  Alas, 
what  a  sight  for  a  mother’s  eyes  !  The  pure  and  holy 
and  beauteous  form  of  the  fairest  among  men,  all  one 
mass  of  clotted  blood  and  unsightly  wounds.  And  yet, 
all-deformed  as  it  was,  there  shone  in  that  divine  counte¬ 
nance  a  clear,  calm  expression  of  divine  majesty.  Now 
can  Mary  view  the  several  wounds  in  that  body.  She 
can  look  into  the  gash  in  His  side,  and  through  the  open¬ 
ing  almost  see  the  sacred  heart  of  Jesus,  all  bruised  and 
broken  for  love  of  man.  Before  her  vision  passes  in  de¬ 
tail  the  whole  of  their  lifetime,  of  His  life  and  her  own. 
She  recalls  their  mutual  joys  and  sorrows,  as  Son  and 
Mother,  during  thirty  years.  She  remembers  how  she 
had  often  pressed  that  now  lifeless  form  to  her  throbbing 
heart.  She  recalls  how  three-and-thirty  years  before,  in 
the  stable  at  Bethlehem,  she  cherished  for  the  first  time, 
with  a  mother’s  joy,  this  now  cold  and  lifeless  form.  Be¬ 
fore  her  memory  rises  up  every  year  and  day  and  hour 
of  their  quiet,  happy  life  in  their  pleasant  humble  home 
at  Nazareth. 

The  great  prevailing  wish  of  Mary’s  heart  was,  now 
that  her  beloved  Son  could  not  speak  to  her,  to  be  per¬ 
mitted  to  cherish  undisturbed  and  at  her  leisure,  even 
these  lifeless  remains.  With  love,  humility,  reverence, 
and  gratitude  she  meditates  upon  the  lifeless  Victim  of 
man’s  iniquity. 

How  great  your  privilege,  Christian  reader  !  You  are 
permitted  to  draw  near  to  the  living  body  of  Christ. 
Yes,  for  you  it  is  a  body  full  of  life.  In  the  tabernacle 
on  the  altar  of  your  parish  church  that  sacred  body 
dwells,  dispensing  light  and  life  and  grace  to  all  who 
seek  them.  Nay,  more,  He  comes  Himself  to  you,  not 
a  wounded  corpse  to  repose  merely  on  your  arms,  but  a 
life-giving  body  and  soul,  human  and  divine,  to  penetrate 


318  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Sitffered. 

to  your  very  heart  in  the  sacrament  of  holy  communion. 
Oh  !  if  your  heart  were  pure  and  holy  as  Mary’s  ;  were  your 
soul,  like  hers,  animated  with  faith  and  charity,  with  long¬ 
ing  desire  and  resolute  determination,  then  would  you 
be  able  to  look  upon  the  beauteous  countenance  of  your 
God.  It  could  not  be  entirely  veiled  by  the  sacramental 
species,  but  be  made  plain  and  visible  to  the  eyes  of  your 
pure  and  sanctified  soul. 

MARY  AT  THE  ENTOMBMENT  OF  JESUS. 

God  has  been  pleased  to  reveal  to  more  than  one  of 
His  saints — and  indeed,  on  account  of  Mary’s  deep  rever¬ 
ence  for  her  Son,  it  seems  probable,  if  not  certain,  that 
she  claimed  as  a  mother’s  right  the  duty  of  washing  and 
preparing  the  sacred  remains  of  Jesus.  To  what  other 
hands  could  this  solemn  duty  be  entrusted  ?  Only  the 
blessed  Mother  dare  touch  the  precious  wounds.  She 
alone  could  pick  the  thorns  from  His  lacerated  head  and 
smooth  and  dress  the  flesh  mangled  by  the  scourges. 
She  alone  should  wrap  His  precious  remains  in  the  wind¬ 
ing-sheet,  as  of  yore  she  wrapped  His  body  in  swaddling- 
clothes.  Now  for  the  first  time  she  discovered  the  ex¬ 
tent  and  number  of  these  wounds.  Each  new  discovery 
brought  back  in  horror  the  remembrance  of  every  suc¬ 
cessive  stage  in  His  tragic  Passion,  from  the  binding  with 
cords  on  Thursday  night,  to  the  piercing  with  nails  on 
Calvary  and  the  thrust  of  the  lance  even  after  death.  O 
merciful  and  compassionate  Mother  of  sorrows  !  wash 
and  cleanse  my  wounded  soul,  purify  it  from  the  stains 
of  my  countless  sins. 

Mary  took  part  also  in  the  burial  of  her  beloved  Son, 
though  the  Evangelists  do  not  mention  her  name  among 
those  who  were  present  on  that  mournful  occasion.  Is 
it  not  in  accordance  with  her  kind  and  motherly  nature 


Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus.  319 

that  she  should  offer  to  Him  the  tribute  of  final  respect 
and  affection  ?  It  was  now  evening,  and  the  crowd  of 
morbid  spectators  who  had  witnessed  the  great  tragedy 
of  that  memorable  Friday  had  dispersed  and  gone  back 
to  their  homes.  In  the  fast-falling  darkness,  solemnly 
and  slowly  the  few  faithful  friends  bore  the  lifeless  body 
of  Christ  to  a  new  grave  not  far  distant.  A  few  pious 
women  followed,  weeping  and  lamenting.  In  their  midst 
the  Mother,  the  ever-faithful  Mother.  She,  too,  in  her 
desolation,  followed  the  dead  body  of  her  Son,  of  that 
Son  who  sorrowed  for  the  sorrow  of  the  widow  of  Naim, 
whose  only  son  was  carried  out  dead.  For  that  childless 
widow  He  had  wrought  a  miracle,  and  gave  her  back  her 
son.  For  Mary,  no  divine  worker  of  miracles  appears  to 
give  her  back  her  dead  Son. 

Never,  assuredly,  was  human  soul  visited  with  sorrow 
like  unto  Mary’s  sorrow.  Never  did  human  soul  expe¬ 
rience  such  superhuman  woe,  such  indescribable  feelings 
of  desolation,  as  overwhelmed  her  heart  as  she  cast  a  last 
glance  on  the  precious  remains  of  her  dead  Son.  Many 
a  grave  in  human  life  closes  forever  upon  a  world  of  hope 
and  of  love.  But  no  grave  can  resemble  the  tomb  of 
Jesus.  It  stands  there,  hewn  from  the  rock,  alone  of  its 
kind,  unparalleled  in  its  sacred  contents  ;  for  neither  the 
One  who  is  mourned,  nor  the  one  who  mourns,  has  any 
peer  in  the  human  family. 

Alas,  how  painful  the  last  parting,  the  sad  turning  away 
from  the  sepulchre  !  St.  John  and  the  pious  women  be¬ 
sought  and  implored  the  Blessed  Virgin  not  to  linger. 
But  how  could  she  go,  for  her  very  heart  lay  buried  in  the 
grave  of  her  Son  ?  At  last,  the  heroic  woman  makes  one 
more  act  of  sacrifice  and  submission  to  God’s  holy  will, 
and  then  goes  bravely  forth  into  the  lonely,  dreary  world. 
She  wends  her  sad  way  through  the  darkness  that  had  now 


320  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  a?id  Suffered. 

fallen  on  the  earth,  and  passes  once  more  the  heights  of 
Calvary.  The  gaunt  dismal  tree  of  the  cross  still  rears 
aloft  its  ghastly  proportions  and  stands  painfully  positive 
in  the  dim  light  of  the  rising  moon.  As  she  passes,  Mary, 
full  of  courage,  throws  herself  upon  her  knees  and  kisses 
fervently  the  wood  made  sacred  by  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
This  she  does,  first,  as  a  proof  of  her  reconciliation  to 
that  once  ignoble  tree  which  had  played  such  a  dreadful 
part  in  the  great  atonement ;  and,  secondly,  she  kissed  the 
cross  as  a  sign  of  her  love  and  adoration  for  the  precious 
blood. 

From  the  cross  the  virgin  Mother  bends  her  steps 
towards  Jerusalem.  Before  her  view  lay  the  God-beloved, 
yet  God-murdering  city,  over  which  the  Saviour  had  wept 
but  a  few  days  before  when  predicting  its  coming  de¬ 
struction.  By  the  same  gate  through  which  she  had 
come  out  in  the  morning,  she  now  at  night  passes  into 
the  town,  accompanied  by  St.  John  and  Mary  Magdalen. 
As  men  measure  time,  but  twelve  short  hours  had  in¬ 
tervened  ;  but  in  the  reckoning  of  time  in  the  order  of 
grace,  it  was  a  whole  lifetime.  Weak  from  thirst  and 
hunger,  her  eyes  dimmed  with  weeping,  her  every  limb 
trembling  with  fatigue,  her  soul  sad  with  the  recollections 
of  the  day  just  passed,  her  heart  crushed  and  desolate. 
Such  was  the  condition  of  the  Queen  of  heaven  and  earth 
when  she  came  to  the  door  of  another’s  home,  but  which 
was  now  to  be  her  home.  It  was  the  home  of  St.  John, 
the  disciple  beloved  by  her  divine  Son. 

mary’s  merits  during  the  passion  week. 

Christian  reader,  now  that  you  have  journeyed  in  spirit, 
and  in  company  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  over  the  royal  way  of 
the  cross,  and  have,  moreover,  tarried  on  the  heights  of 
Calvary  for  three  long  hours,  examine  whether  you  have 


Mary  at  the  Death  of  Jesus.  321 

derived  any  profit  from  this  holy  devotion.  This  pil¬ 
grimage  of  sorrows  should  have  the  effect  of  strengthen¬ 
ing  your  love  for  Mary,  of  augmenting  your  confidence  in 
that  patient  sufferer.  How  noble,  merciful,  and  loving  she 
has  shown  herself  to  be  !  What  a  rich  harvest  of  merits 
she  has  reaped  to  herself  on  this  painful  way  of  the  cross, 
and  added  them  to  her  already  acquired  dignity  of  Mother 
of  God  !  Both  of  these  invaluable  treasures — her  dignity 
as  Mother  of  God  and  her  acquired  personal  merits — she 
applies  fully  and  generously  to  those  spiritually  needy 
children  to  whom  she  gave  birth  under  the  cross. 

Moreover,  this  journey  of  the  Passion,  Christian  reader, 
which  thou  hast  followed  under  the  guiding  hand  of  Mary, 
should  fortify  you  in  the  practice  of  patience,  in  disin¬ 
terested,  quiet,  happy  submission  to  the  will  of  God  every 
time  it  may  please  Him  to  place  a  light  and  little  cross 
upon  your  shoulders,  or  perhaps  when  He  may  pierce  your 
heart  with  a  slight  thrust  of  affliction,  or  even  with  a 
deeper  and  heavier  blow  cause  your  heart  to  bleed.  If 
the  Son  of  the  living  God  could  say  of  Himself  :  “  Ought 
not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things  and  so  to  enter 
into  His  glory?”  (Luke  xxiv.  26),  if  the  Mother  of  God 
who  was  the  most  innocent  and  purest  among  women  and 
who  was  personally  enriched  with  the  most  copious  merits 
and  graces, — if  these  two  were  compelled  to  undergo  such 
indescribable  trials  and  tribulations,  do  not  complain, 
Christian  reader,  whenever  the  word  of  God  comes  to  the 
ears  of  your  soul,  saying  :  “  He  that  taketh  not  up  his 
cross,  and  followeth  Me,  is  not  worthy  of  Me.”  (Matt, 
x.  38.) 

Meanwhile,  Christian  reader,  now  that  we  are  about  to 
draw  to  a  close  our  meditations  on  the  sorrows  and  griefs 
of  our  beloved  Mother,  I  beseech  you  to  address  to  her 
with  all  the  fervor  at  your  command  the  following  beautiful 
prayer  of  St.  Alphonsus  : 

21 


322  How  the  Blessed  Virgin  Lived  and  Suffered ’ 

“  O  beloved  Mary,  my  Mother,  Queen  of  sorrows,  Queen 
of  martyrs,  out  of  love  for  me  it  was  that  thou  didst 
shed  so  many  tears  over  thy  dead  Son  Jesus  Christ.  But 
of  what  avail  would  all  thy  precious  tears  be,  if  I  should 
be  lost  ?  Obtain  for  me,  therefore,  through  thy  power 
with  God,  and  by  thy  own  meritorious  sufferings,  contri¬ 
tion  for  all  my  sins,  an  amendment  of  life,  and  also  an  in¬ 
tense  sympathy  with  the  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ,  as 
well  as  with  thy  own  afflictions.  Since  thy  divine  Son 
and  thyself,  both  sinless,  have  been  compelled  to  suffer 
so  much  for  me,  obtain  that  I  also,  who  have  well  de¬ 
served  hell,  may  receive  from  the  hand  of  God  some 
severe  chastisement  to  be  undergone  for  love  of  thy  Son 
and  thyself.  O  blessed  Patroness,  if  I  have  offended 
thee,  then  exercise  justice  towards  me,  by  wounding  me 
in  turn  and  chastening  my  heart.  Even  if  I  have  served 
thee,  I  beseech  thee  that  thou  wouldst  even  still  chastise 
me.  It  seems  disgraceful,  indeed,  that  I  should  behold 
my  Saviour  wounded,  and  thee  with  Him,  and  yet  see  my¬ 
self  escape  all  chastisement.  Finally,  most  blessed 
Mother,  I  beseech  thee  by  the  deep  affliction  which  thou 
didst  undergo  when  thou  didst  see  thy  divine  Son  bow 
down  His  head  and  expire  before  thy  eyes,  obtain  for  me 
a  happy  and  peaceful  death  hour.  O  beloved  advocate 
of  sinners,  I  pray  thee  that  thou  do  not  abandon  me  on 
my  entrance  into  eternity,  but  stand  near  my  troubled 
soul  when  it  will  be  assailed  by  the  last  temptation.  And 
as  in  that  dreadful  hour  my  voice  will  probably  fail  me, 
and  I  shall  not  be  able  to  call  upon  the  name  of  thy  Jesus, 
my  sweetest  hope  and  consolation,  I  call  on  Jesus  and 
upon  thee  now,  that  He  and  you  may  be  near  me  in  my 
last  moment.  Hence  I  say  now :  Jesus  and  Mary,  to  thee 
I  commend  my  soul,  now  and  in  the  moment  of  its  de¬ 
parture  from  this  world.  Amen.” 


PART  V. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  MARY  DEPARTS  FROM  EARTH. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

MARY’S  HAPPINESS  AT  THE  RESURRECTION 

OF  JESUS. 

SHE  YEARNS  AFTER  HER  BELOVED  SON. 

THE  great  sacrifice  is  consummated,  not  alone  by  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world,  but  by  His  blessed  Mother 
also.  The  solemn  tranquillity  of  the  grave  now  rests  upon 
Mary’s  lacerated  heart.  As  when  the  sun  has  gone  down, 
its  rosy  effulgence  still  bathes  the  earth  and  gives  gentle 
promise  of  a  new  bright  morning  to  come,  so  did  the  cer¬ 
tain  hope  in  Christ’s  speedy  resurrection  from  the  tomb 
shed  on  her  calm  soul  a  quiet,  resigned  feeling  of  comfort 
and  peace.  With  faith  and  a  hope  stronger  than  Job’s, 
she  could  say  :  “I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth.”  (Job 
xix.  25.)  This  same  hope  it  was,  next  to  her  fulness  of 
grace,  that  had  sustained  her  on  the  way  to  Calvary, 
under  the  cross,  and  at  the  sepulchre.  What  indescribable 
emotions  pervade  the  human  soul  when  its  owner  dis¬ 
covers  the'  certain  approach  of  some  great  and  undoubted 
happiness  !  Such  emotions  reigned  in  the  expectant  soul 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  grew  stronger  and  deeper  as 
she  knelt  in  silent  prayer  all  through  the  night  preceding 
Easter  Sunday.  In  body,  Mary  was  in  the  house  of  her 
adopted  son,  St.  John,  but  her  thoughts,  her  affections, 

323 


324  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

her  hopes  and  aspirations  were  in  the  newly  made  tomb 
of  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  where  lay  the  body  of  her  loved 
One. 

In  the  heart  of  the  desolate  Mother  lingered  unspeak¬ 
able  and  indefinable  longings  to  see  her  Son  once  more 
risen  from  the  grave,  and  standing  erect  before  her  full 
of  life  and  divine  beauty.  Indeed,  we  need  not  be  afraid 
to  hold  the  opinion  entertained  by  many  learned  and  holy 
writers,  that  these  ardent  yearnings  hastened  the  Resur¬ 
rection,  as  they  had  also,  in  the  opinion  of  these  same 
writers,  hastened  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation.  And 
when  this  greatest  of  miracles  did  take  place,  the  miracle 
in  which  the  Son  of  the  Virgin  restored  Himself  again  to 
life,  and  rose  triumphant  over  death,  what  unspeakable 
happiness  took  possession  of  Mary’s  heart !  As  the 
great  stone  was  rolled  away  from  Christ’s  tomb,  so  from 
Mary’s  heart  was  lifted  a  great  oppressive  weight.  With 
the  Royal  Psalmist,  she  might  sing :  “  According  to  the 
multitude  of  my  sorrows  in  my  heart,  Thy  comforts  have 
given  joy  to  my  soul.”  (Psalm  xciii.  19.)  Hence  on 
Easter  eve  and  all  through  the  Paschal  season,  our  holy 
mother  the  Church  invites  our  blessed  Lady  to  be  com¬ 
forted  and  to  rejoice  because  of  Our  Lord’s  triumphant 
resurrection  from  the  dead.  Several  times  a  day  is 
sung  or  read  the  beautiful  anthem  “  Regina  Cceli .” 

“  J°y  to  Thee,  O  Queen  of  heaven  !  Alleluia. 

He  whom  thou  wast  meet  to  bear;  Alleluia. 

As  He  promised,  hath  arisen  ;  Alleluia. 

Pour  for  us  to  Him  thy  prayer;  Alleluia.” 

In  the  first  place,  Mary  exulted  for  her  Son’s  sake ;  for 
the  Resurrection  was  in  truth  His  triumph  after  humilia¬ 
tion,  His  consolation  after  His  sufferings,  His  reward  for 
His  work  of  atonement. 

Moreover,  she  rejoiced  on  our  account,  on  account  of 


Mary's  Happiness  at  the  Resurrection .  325 

us,  her  children,  to  whom  Christ’s  Resurrection  was  to 
be  a  pledge  of  our  spiritual  and  bodily  resurrection  from 
sin  and  death.  Finally,  she  rejoiced  on  her  own  account ; 
for  it  was  to  her  a  source  of  great  comfort,  the  great  com¬ 
pensation  for  all  her  afflictions. 

MOTHER  AND  SON. 

Did  Our  Lord  after  His  Resurrection  appear  to  His 
blessed  Mother  ?  You  may  ask  this  question,  Christian 
reader,  for  Holy  Scripture  affords  us  no  direct  evidence 
that  He  did.  Certainly  such  a  manifestation  of  the  risen 
Redeemer  was  in  nowise  requisite  to  strengthen  Mary’s 
faith.  For  never  for  a  moment  did  she  doubt  that  He 
would  be  again  restored  triumphantly  to  life.  But  this 
very  faith  of  hers,  as  well  as  her  love  and  charity,  gave  her 
a  stronger  claim  to  this  favor,  to  this  happiness  of  seeing 
her  risen  Son  and  Saviour.  How  could  the  Son  of  God 
refuse  this  gratification  to  His  fond  Mother !  How  could 
He  pass  her  by  and  give  the  preference  to  so  many  others 
who  were  not  so  dear  to  His  heart,  who  had  not  come  so 
near  to  His  cross,  and  yet  to  whom  He  was  pleased  to  ap¬ 
pear  after  His  Resurrection  ? 

It  is,  then,  a  generally  received  and  firmly  believed 
opinion  in  the  Church,  dating  from  very  early  times,  that 
the  Saviour  appeared  to  His  Mother  before  He  did  to  any 
other  person/  But  who  is  competent  to  describe  her 
transports  /of  joy  when  He  stood  before  her  in  all 
His  mild  and  heavenly  dignity.  On  Calvary  Mary 
needed  all  the  strength  of  a  heart  confiding  in  heaven 
and  of  a  soul  trusting  in  God  in  order  to  escape  dying 
of  grief.  Now  she  needs  the  same  fortitude  not  to  die 
of  joy  and  happiness.  With  what  profound  reverence 
she  gazed  into  the  marks  of  the  sacred  wounds  in  His 
hands  and  feet,  and  recognized  them  as  evidences  of  His 


326 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 


complete  victory  over  sin  and  death !  What  happiness 
to  meet  under  such  happy  circumstances  after  a  separa¬ 
tion  which,  though  but  three  days  in  duration,  seemed 
to  the  blessed  Mother  like  a  lifetime,  and  was  more 
painful  than  the  three  days  of  separation  long  ago  in 
Jerusalem,  when  Jesus  wras  but  twelve  years  of  age. 
Certainly  the  happy,  proud  Mother  must  have  poured  forth 
the  feelings  of  her  enraptured  soul  in  a  canticle  of  fervent 
thanksgiving,  when  she  realized  that  all  the  sufferings  of 
her  beloved  Son  had  passed,  never  again  to  return.  Let 
us  enter  into  the  sentiments  of  Mary’s  heart,  and  sharing 
her  joy,  reverence,  and  love,  repeat  with  her  in  all  zeal  the 
majestic  verses  of  the  grand  old  “  Magnificat ”  : 

“  My  soul  doth  magnify  :  the  Lord.  And  my  spirit 
hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour.  For  He  hath  regarded 
the  humility  of  His  handmaid  :  for  behold  from  hence¬ 
forth  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed.  For  He  that 
is  mighty  hath  done  great  things  unto  me :  and  holy  is 
His  name.  And  His  mercy  is  from  generation  to  genera¬ 
tion  :  unto  them  that  fear  Him.  He  hath  showed  strength 
with  His  arm  :  He  hath  scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagina¬ 
tion  of  their  heart.  He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from 
their  seat :  and  hath  exalted  the  humble.  He  hath  filled 
the  hungry  with  good  things :  and  the  rich  He  hath  sent 
empty  away.  He  hath  upholden  His  servant  Israel : 
being  mindful  of  His  mercy.  As  He  spake  unto  our 
fathers  :  to  Abraham  and  his  seed  forever.” 


EASTER  JOYS  AND  SPIRITUAL  RESURRECTION. 

It  is  not  sufficient,  dear  Christian  reader,  it  will  avail 
you  little,  to  indulge  in  merely  sentimental  joy  at  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  and  at  the  happiness  of  Mary. 
For  noble  as  your  joy  maybe,  it  must,  to  be  of  any  use  to 
your  soul,  be  made  practical.  Mary  had  been  buried  in 


Mary's  Happiness  at  the  Resurrection.  327 

spirit  with  her  beloved  Son.  In  spirit  and  love  is  she 
now  risen  to  a  more  heavenly  life  than  formerly.  The 
fact  that  for  the  future  she  is  to  belong  more  closely  to 
heaven  than  to  earth  is  one  of  her  fairest  Easter  joys. 
Christian  reader,  resolve  to  rise  from  sin,  to  rise  in  spirit 
from  the  tomb  of  iniquity.  From  this  spiritual  death 
which  is  produced  by  sin,  the  sinless,  immaculate  Virgin 
could  not  rise,  for  she  had  never  fallen  under  its  domin¬ 
ion.  But  you,  Christian  reader,  have  good  reason  to 
read  and  study  closely  and  frequently  the  sublime  lessons 
which  St.  Paul  gives  us  concerning  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus. 

He  says :  “For  we  are  buried  together  with  Him  by 
baptism  into  death :  that  as  Christ  is  risen  from  the  dead 
by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  so  we  also  may  walk  in  new¬ 
ness  of  life.  For  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the 
likeness  of  His  death  :  we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of 
His  resurrection.  Knowing  this,  that  our  old  man  is 
crucified  with  Him,  that  the  body  of  sin  may  be  destroyed, 
to  the  end  that  we  may  serve  sin  no  longer.  For  he  that 
is  dead  is  justified  from  sin.  Now  if  we  be  dead  with 
Christ :  we  believe  that  we  shall  live  also  together  with 
Christ.  Knowing  that  Christ  rising  again  from  the 
dead  dieth  now  no  more,  death  shall  no  more  have  do¬ 
minion  over  Him.  For  in  that  He  died  to  sin  He  died 
once  :  but  in  that  He  liveth,  He  liveth  unto  God.  So  do 
you  also  reckon  that  you  are  dead  to  sin,  but  alive  unto 
God,  in  Christ  Jesus  Our  Lord.  Let  not  sin  therefore 
reign  in  your  mortal  body,  so  as  to  obey  the  lusts  thereof. 
Neither  yield  ye  your  members  as  instruments  of  in¬ 
iquity  unto  sin  :  but  present  yourselves  to  God  as  those 
that  are  alive  from  the  dead  :  and  your  members  as  in¬ 
struments  of  justice  unto  God.”  (Rom.  vi.  4-13.) 

Do  not  mar,  nor  enfeeble,  Christian  reader,  by  any  sin, 
the  everlasting  Easter  joys  of  your  heavenly  protectress. 


328  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

Rather  endeavor  to  augment  them  by  your  innocence  of 
life,  by  your  prayers  and  other  good  works.  Then  will 
your  way  of  the  cross  through  life  be  enlightened  by  the 
hope  of  a  joyous  resurrection  and  a  happy  meeting  and 
reunion :  a  resurrection  and  a  restoration  to  the  glory  of 
heaven,  when  God  will  wipe  away  all  tears  from  your 
eyes,  where  death  will  be  unknown,  no  sorrow,  no  com¬ 
plaining,  no  pain.  May  the  almighty  and  merciful  God 
grant  us  this  blessing  through  the  powerful  intercession 
of  our  beloved  Mother.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  MARY  ASCENDS  TO  HEAVEN 
IN  SPIRIT  WITH  HER  BELOVED  SON. 

FOR  forty  days  the  risen  Saviour  remained  on  this 
earth.  During  that  time  He  appeared  frequently  to 
His  apostles  and  other  believing  friends,  and  on  one 
occasion  to  a  multitude  numbering  five  hundred.  De¬ 
crees  and  ordinances,  all  replete  with  graces  and  bless¬ 
ings,  were  ordained  and  promulgated  for  the  benefit  of 
the  young  and  rising  Church.  The  apostles  were  con¬ 
firmed  in  their  faith,  and  strengthened  in  their  love 
for  their  divine  Master.  The  fullest  powers  were  im¬ 
parted  to  them,  and  unquestionable  authority  given  to 
them  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  But  what 
of  the  blessed  Mother  during  these  forty  days  ?  Did  not 
Jesus  visit  her  from  time  to  time  ?  May  we  not  believe 
that  He  passed  much  of  His  time  in  her  comforting 
company  ?  Holy  Writ  is  silent  on  this  topic,  probab¬ 
ly  out  of  respect  to  the  humility  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
who  kept  these  visits  and  sayings  of  her  Lord,  “  ponder¬ 
ing  them  in  her  heart.”  How  the  presence  of  her  trans- 


Mary  Ascends  to  Heaven  in  Spirit  with  her  Son.  329 

figured  and  glorified  Son  must  have  overwhelmed  her 
loving  heart  with  the  keenest  delight !  How  amply  was 
she  now  repaid,  how  richly  rewarded  for  her  past  love  to 
Jesus,  for  the  many  sacrifices  she  had  made  for  His  sake, 
especially  on  the  road  to  Calvary  and  under  the  cross ! 
If  such  a  foretaste  of  eternal  happiness  is  so  ravishing, 
how  far  beyond  description  must  be  the  full  and  actual 
enjoyment  of  God’s  presence  in  heaven  ! 

When  the  forty  days  had  elapsed,  the  Saviour,  accom¬ 
panied  by  His  disciples  and  several  believers,  went  forth 
from  Bethania  to  the  Mount  of  Olives.  At  such  a  mo¬ 
mentous  time,  where  should  the  Mother  of  Jesus  be  if  not 
in  company  with  her  beloved  Son  and  His  apostles  and 
the  pious  women  in  Bethania,  which  town  had  been  her 
second  home  ever  since  the  time  when  Jesus  had  left 
Nazareth. 

MOUNT  OLIVET. 

The  prospect  from  the  heights  of  Mount  Olivet  is  one 
of  varied  beauty,  and  more  suggestive  of  holy  and  precious 
recollections  than  any  other  spot  in  the  world.  Towards 
the  east,  the  eye  sweeps  over  the  bold,  bare  outline  of  the 
mountains  down  into  the  valley  of  the  River  Jordan  and 
the  basin  of  the  Dead  Sea.  This  latter  body  of  water 
may  be  seen  between  the  broken  lines  of  the  hills,  its 
glistening  waves  seeming  in  the  bright  sunlight  like 
molten  silver.  Away  beyond  may  be  seen  the  Arabian 
mountains,  whence  the  three  wise  men  came  who  were 
called  by  the  star  to  Bethlehem.  To  these  mountains  the 
clear  atmosphere  peculiar  to  the  climate  imparts  a  color- 
ing  of  great  beauty.  Towards  the  west  lies  the  Valley  of 
Josaphat,  whose  very  name  and  appearance  are  suggest¬ 
ive  to  every  observer  of  death  and  judgment.  There, 
too,  lies  the  holy  city  of  Jerusalem,  in  full  view,  with 
Mount  Sion  and  Mount  Calvary,  the  site  of  the  Temple, 


330  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

and  the  great  tower  of  David.  The  whole  of  the  Old  and 
of  the  New  Testament,  the  history  of  a  hundred  peoples 
whose  ashes  are  mingled  with  the  dust  of  the  streets,  an 
endless  series  of  divine  deeds  of  justice  and  mercy  unroll 
themselves  before  the  mind’s  eye  of  the  spectator.  Here 
the  Saviour  entered  upon  the  painful  path  of  Kis  passion. 
Here  again  He  stands  now  with  His  work  accomplished. 
His  Mother  stands  by  His  side.  Once  more  He  casts  His 
gentle  eye  over  His  beloved  Jerusalem,  then  over  moun¬ 
tain,  valley,  sea,  and  river,  and  then  in  spirit  He  reviews 
the  nations  of  the  earth  as  they  pass  before  His  mind, 
generation  after  generation,  till  the  end  of  time.  He 
reviewed  also  the  future  history  of  His  holy  Church,  and 
even  of  each  individual  soul,  and  finds  that  ever  and  above 
all  else,  a  patiently  and  heroically  borne  cross  leads  always 
to  triumphant  victory,  as  in  His  own  case  now  when  He 
finds  Himself  glorified,  admired,  victorious  on  the  self¬ 
same  spot  where  He  had  been  deserted  by  His  apostles, 
abandoned  by  His  Father  in  the  hour  of  depression  and 
agony ;  where  He  had  been  betrayed  to  His  enemies  by 
the  kiss  of  a  once  loved  friend. 

How  brightly  and  gloriously  this  coincidence,  this  ming¬ 
ling  of  humiliation  and  triumph  on  the  same  soil  of 
Olivet,  presents  itself  to  the  deeply  agitated  soul  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  How  fervently  she  adored  the  mysteri¬ 
ous  ways  of  Providence  !  How  clearly,  in  her  prophetic 
vision,  she  foresaw  the  honor  and  glory,  the  reward  and 
power,  that  would  one  day — indeed,  for  all  days — attach 
to  the  hitherto  despised  cross  of  Calvary ! 

sursum  corda! 

Jesus  now  raised  His  hands,  which  still  showed  the 
mark  of  the  nails,  to  bless  His  Mother  and  the  disciples, 
who  all  knelt  to  receive  His  parting  benediction.  When 


Mary  Ascends  to  Heaven  in  Spirit  with  her  Son.  331 

Mary  raised  her  eyes  to  His  countenance  she  saw  His 
features  glowing  with  a  heavenly  brightness,  as  His  body 
began  to  rise  from  the  earth  and  slowly  to  ascend  towards 
the  sky.  And  as  He  departed,  He  spread  out  His  arms, 
solemnly  blessing  them  all.  At  last  a  light  cloud  envel¬ 
oped  His  receding  form  and  shut  Him  out  from  the  view 
of  the  eager  observers.  The  blessed  Mother  did  not  re¬ 
move  her  eyes  till  the  last  from  her  blessed  Lord.  It 
seemed  as  if  her  heart  were  torn  away  from  earth  and  life 
and  wished  to  raise  itself  and  follow  Him  to  whom  it  was 
so  devoted  in  gratitude  and  love.  Sentiments  of  mingled 
wonder,  delight,  and  admiration  pervaded  her  soul.  There 
was,  perhaps,  a  shadow  of  sadness  and  loneliness  at  this 
separation  from  her  Jesus  and  at  the  prospect  of  coming 
years  to  be  spent  by  her  in  loneliness  on  earth.  But  she 
suppressed  every  feeling  of  sorrow,  and  in  its  stead  came 
a  calmer  longing  for  heaven.  Which  longing  grew  the 
more  eager  and  intense  as  she  dwelt  on  the  pleasant 
thought  that  her  divine  Son  was  now  beyond  the  reach  of 
further  affliction  or  persecution,  and  of  contempt  and  ridi¬ 
cule  from  His  enemies.  She  remembered  that  He  sat 
enthroned  in  the  glory  which  He  possessed  before  the 
world  was  made. 

This  longing  after  her  heavenly  home  became  the  more 
ardent  and  powerful,  in  proportion  as  the  desire  grew 
within  her  to  witness  the  glory  which  her  Son  enjoyed. 
With  the  Apostle  Paul  she  might  have  desired  “  to  be 
dissolved  and  to  be  with  Christ.”  (Phil.  i.  23.)  But 
there  existed  three  powerful  ties  that  were  to  hold  her  to 
this  earth  for  some  years,  namely,  the  holy  will  of  God, 
the  welfare  of  the  infant  Church,  and  the  Blessed  Sacra¬ 
ment  of  the  Eucharist.  These  were  indeed  sacred  and 
holy  bonds  in  the  estimation  of  her  who  had  pronounced 
the  act  of  resignation :  “  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the 
Lord,  be  it  done  to  me  according  to  Thy  word.” 


332  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth . 

COMFORTING  PROMISE. 

“And  while  they  were  beholding  Him  going  up  to 
heaven,  behold  two  men  stood  by  them  in  white  garments, 
who  also  said  :  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  you  looking 
up  to  heaven  ?  This  Jesus  who  is  taken  up  from  you 
into  heaven  shall  so  come  as  you  have  seen  Him  going 
into  heaven.”  (Acts.  i.  io,  n.)  Promise  full  of  comfort 
for  the  blessed  Mother  who  was  among  those  addressed  ! 
Her  Son  is  in  heaven,  and  He  will  come  again  glorious 
and  triumphant  !  Promise  full  of  comfort  also  for  all 
men  on  earth  who  are  of  good-will,  and  who  in  reward  for 
their  fidelity  to  faith  and  duty  will  see  in  the  Son  of  God, 
when  He  shall  come,  not  the  stern  Judge,  but  will  greet 
him  as  their  Saviour,  Rewarder,  and  Bridegroom. 

But  when  the  cross  of  the  approaching  Son  of  man  will 
appear  in  the  heavens,  terror  and  despair  will  overtake 
and  overwhelm  those  who,  having  left  the  narrow,  thorny 
path  of  Christ  and  despised  His  precepts,  have  made 
their  way  to  eternity  over  the  broad  and  easy  road  of 
pleasure,  sensuality,  and  forgetfulness  of  God.  Christian 
reader,  it  lies  with  yourself  whether  you  are  to  meet 
the  Son  of  God  as  your  wished-for  Friend  and  King,  or  as 
your  dreaded  Avenger  of  goods  and  graces  abused  and 
neglected.  Therefore  beseech  your  compassionate  ad¬ 
vocate,  that  by  her  happiness  at  the  ascension  of  Christ, 
she  would  obtain  for  you  courage,  perseverance,  grace, 
and  light,  that  you  may  tread  the  way  of  God’s  command¬ 
ments,  and  finally  come  forward  with  the  lamp  of  faith 
and  love  to  meet  your  approaching  Judge  and  Bridegroom. 
Assure  her  that  you  wish  to  imitate  her  in  her  longings 
for  heaven  and  its  manifold  blessings.  Poor,  troubled 
soul,  how  anxiously  thou  attachest  thyself  to  the  cares, 
anxieties,  vanities,  and  frivolities  of  this  earth  !  How  sel¬ 
dom,  how  tepidly,  you  look  up  to  heaven,  which  is  your 


Mary  as  Queen  of  the  Apostles . 


333 


everlasting  home  !  What  sacrifices  you  make  in  order  to 
come  into  the  possession  of  the  dust  of  the  earth  !  How 
solicitous  you  are  to  add  a  few  short  years  or  even  days 
to  your  earthly  existence,  while  the  precious  goods  of 
heaven,  and  the  everlasting  life  of  happiness  and  of  love 
are  seldom  or  never  the  subjects  of  your  heart-wishes,  of 
your  prayers,  or  of  your  cares.  O  good  and  gentle  Mother 
Mary,  implant  in  my  callous  heart  your  ardent  longings 
for  heaven  and  for  our  blessed  Lord.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  AS  QUEEN  OF  THE  APOSTLES 

ON  WHIT-SUNDAY. 


MARY,  QUEEN  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 


HE  apostles  and  the  other  witnesses  of  the  Resurrec- 


1  tion  after  recovering  from  their  surprise  at  the 
wonderful  things  they  had  seen  and  heard,  came  down 
from  Mount  Olivet  and  returned  to  Jerusalem,  where,  as 
The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  inform  us,  they  assembled  to 
pray  in  a  retired  apartment,*  the  Blessed  Virgin  being 
with  them.  (Acts.  i.  14.)  Here  they  passed  their  time, 
“  breaking  bread  daily  ”  and  receiving  the  Sacrament  of 
the  Holy  Eucharist.  Thus  they  awaited  the  coming  of 
that  Holy  Spirit  who  had  been  promised  by  the  Redeemer, 
passing  ten  days  in  careful  preparation.  Observe  here, 
Christian  reader,  how  the  blessed  Mother  seems  to  take 
the  place  among  the  apostles  which  was  left  vacant  by 
the  ascension  of  the  divine  Master.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  Passion,  when  Jesus  was  taken  captive,  the  terrified 

*  Probably  the  same  room  in  which  Our  Lord  had  instituted  the 
Blessed  Sacrament. 


334  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

disciples  had  dispersed  in  all  directions.  His  reappear¬ 
ance  on  earth  brought  them  once  more  around  Him, 
and  His  presence  kept  them  together.  But  was  there  not 
some  reason  to  fear  that  they  would  again  disperse,  now 
that  He  had  left  them  again,  and  it  was  certain  He  would 
not  return  ?  What  would  then  have  become  of  the  designs 
of  God  and  of  the  infant  Church  ?  But  the  venerated  and 
blessed  Mother  of  Jesus  remained  in  their  midst.  Vested 
with  all  the  prestige  of  God’s  Mother,  with  a  wonderful 
holiness,  extraordinary  wisdom,  and  heroic  fortitude,  she 
was  the  means,  before  God,  of  so  inspiring  the  disciples 
that  they  remained  together,  united  by  her  benign  in¬ 
fluence,  and  by  a  common  faith  and  by  a  common  love 
for  Christ  her  Son.  Mary  was  here  not  only  the  heart  of 
their  little  assembly,  but  she  was  also  their  head,  for  she 
became  their  teacher.  Even  at  this  late  date,  many  im¬ 
portant  truths  connected  with  the  life  of  the  blessed 
Master,  especially  regarding  the  Incarnation  and  His  early 
life  in  Bethlehem,  Egypt,  and  Nazareth,  may  have  been 
unknown  to  these  future  teachers  of  all  nations.  Who 
could  have  been  better  fitted  to  instruct  them  on  these 
important  truths  than  His  own  Mother,  who  had  witnessed 
them  and  shared  largely  in  them  ?  Thus,  in  the  absence 
of  the  divine  Sun  of  justice,  the  mild  and  venerable 
Mother,  in  the  very  beginning  of  the  Church,  shone  like 
the  gentle,  faithful  moon,  shedding  about  her,  and  on  the 
members  of  the  apostolic  constellation,  the  borrowed  light 
of  the  heavenly  King. 

MARY,  THE  BRIDE  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

The  days  of  Pentecost  were  approaching.  The  promise 
of  the  divine  Teacher  was  soon  to  be  realized.  He  had 
said :  “  But  the  Paraclete,  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the 
Father  will  send  in  My  name,  He  will  teach  you  all  things, 


Mary  as  Queen  of  the  Apostles.  335 

and  bring  all  things  to  your  mind,  whatsoever  I  shall 
have  said  to  you.”  (John.  xiv.  26.)  It  was  with  the 
consent  and  co-operation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  had  perfected  the  great  mystery  of  the  In¬ 
carnation  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  her  presence  now  and 
with  her  co-operation,  the  same  Holy  Spirit  was  pleased 
to  accomplish  the  great  work  of  transforming  the  hitherto 
vacillating  apostles  into  the  pillars  of  the  Church  and  the 
foundation-stones  of  eternal  truth. 

The  members  of  the  young  Christian  Church  had  as¬ 
sembled  about  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  in  a  place  of 
prayer  in  Jerusalem,  in  order  to  commemorate  in  a  Chris¬ 
tian  sense  and  manner  the  festival  of  Pentecost,  or  the 
promulgation  of  the  divine  law  on  Mount  Sinai,  and  to 
offer  up  to  the  Almighty  God  the  sublime  sacrifice  of  the 
Eucharist  instead  of  the  sacrifice  of  first  fruits  and 
animals  as  prescribed  by  the  Old  Law.  “  And  suddenly 
there  came  a  sound  from  heaven,  as  of  a  mighty  wind 
coming,  and  it  filled  the  whole  house  where  they  were 
sitting.  And  there  appeared  to  them  parted  tongues  as 
it  were  of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  every  one  of  them.  And 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they  began 
to  speak  with  divers  tongues  according  as  the  Holy  Ghost 
gave  them  to  speak.”  (Acts  ii.  1-6.) 

But  why  should  the  Blessed  Virgin  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost  ?  What  effect  was  that  divine  Spirit  to  produce 
in  her  soul  ?  Was  she  not  “  full  of  grace  ”  from  the  time 
of  her  election  ?  Yes,  Christian  reader,  she  was  ;  and  not 
only  then,  but  at  every  moment  of  her  life,  she  was  a 
chosen  vessel  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  virtue  of  her  char¬ 
acter  as  Mother  of  God.  She  now  receives  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  Mother  of  all  the  faithful,  as  Mother  of  the 
future  Church.  On  this  great  day  the  holy  apostles 
were  endowed  with  the  spirit  of  wisdom,  fortitude,  and 
knowledge,  with  the  gift  of  tongues  and  power  of  miracles, 


336  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

in  order  to  make  them  competent  for  the  discharge  of 
their  important  mission  upon  earth.  In  the  same  way 
was  the  Blessed  Virgin  enriched  with  still  greater  graces, 
if  possible,  than  hitherto,  in  order  to  enable  her  to  fulfil  her 
infinitely  great  and  exalted  duty  of  Mother  of  men  in  the 
midst  of  the  holy  Church  until  the  end  of  time.  Though 
a  vessel  be  filled  to  the  brim  with  water,  one  may  still 
continue  to  pour  into  it.  But  the  vessel  not  being  able 
to  contain  it,  runs  over,  and  the  overflow  may  be  of 
use  to  others.  Such  is  the  case  with  regard  to  Mary’s 
superabundance  of  gifts  from  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  in 
truth  and  fact,  has  not  entire  humanity  in  its  spiritual 
poverty  and  destitution  had  recourse  to  Mary’s  super¬ 
abundance  of  grace  and  merits,  of  wisdom  and  power 
for  eighteen  hundred  years  ?  And  will  not  all  future 
generations  come  in  numbers  equally  great  and  eager  to 
drink  from  this  same  inexhaustible  fountain  ? 

MARY,  THE  HEART  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

The  “upper  chamber”  in  Jerusalem  is  nothing  else 
than  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  in  miniature.  There  is 
the  chief  head,  St.  Peter.  There  are  the  bishops  in  the 
persons  of  the  apostles.  There,  too,  we  find  the  doctrines 
of  Christ  and  even  the  divine  ceremonial  services.  For 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  assure  us  that  “  they  were  per¬ 
severing  in  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles,  and  in  the  com¬ 
munication  of  the  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayers.” 
(Acts  ii.  42.)  But  is  this  all  ?  No.  We  must  necessarily 
add  :  There,  too,  was  Mary  the  Mother  of  Jesus.  Any 
religious  denomination  in  whose  midst  the  Mother  of 
Jesus  is  not  enthroned  and  venerated  is  not  the  Church 
of  Christ.  It  is  the  Catholic  Church  alone  which  has 
received  this  precious  legacy  from  the  hands  of  her  divine 
Founder,  and  who  has  kept  it  faithfully  and  lovingly  till 


Mary  as  Queen  of  the  Apostles .  337 

the  present  hour.  Rejoice  then,  Christian  reader,  and 
from  the  bottom  of  your  heart  thank  God  that  you  have 
the  good  fortune  and  happiness,  the  undeserved  grace,  to 
belong  to  that  holy  Church  to  which  Jesus  Christ,  its 
Founder,  has  bequeathed,  not  only  His  sacred  flesh  and 
precious  blood,  soul,  and  divinity  in  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Eucharist,  but  also  His  most  beloved  Mother,  in  order 
that  she  may  be  our  Queen  and  protectress. 

MARY,  AN  OBEDIENT  CHILD  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Although  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  the  Queen  of  the 
apostles,  and  was  highly  honored  in  the  “  upper  cham¬ 
ber  ”  of  prayer,  yet  she  heard  and  accepted  with  perfect 
humility  the  teachings  of  the  apostles  ;  subjecting  herself 
to  them  in  faith,  hope,  and  charity,  and  recognizing  in 
them  the  pillars  of  the  Church  and  the  dispensers  of  the 
mysteries  of  the  Lord.  In  Peter,  the  Prince  of  the 
apostles,  she  sees  and  acknowledges  the  chief  head  of 
the  Church.  Christian  reader,  it  is  of  vital  importance, 
in  these  evil  days  of  ours,  that  you  lay  well  to  heart  the 
blessed  Mother’s  sublime  example  on  this  point. 

All  the  energies  of  sensuality  and  of  falsehood  are 
essaying  to  turn  the  faithful  children  of  the  Church  from 
the  successors  of  Peter  and  of  the  other  apostles,  namely, 
from  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  from  the  bishops  and  the 
priests.  Remain  steadfast.  Do  not  range  yourself,  even 
in  appearance,  on  the  side  of  Christ’s  enemies.  If  you 
are  deprived  of  the  presence  of  your  lawfully  appointed 
teachers,  then  pray  privately  in  your  own  house,  or  in 
company  of  other  faithful  laity,  to  your  divine  Redeemer 
and  ever-blessed  Mother.  In  patience  persevere  in  the 
faithful  discharge  of  your  duties,  till  the  dawn  of  better 
days  in  your  Church  affairs. 

But  thou,  O  gentle  yet  mighty  Virgin  Mary,  in  these 

3 


33  8  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

troublous  and  desolate  times,  redouble  thy  prayers  before 
the  throne  of  God,  augment  thy  protection,  thy  counsel, 
and  thy  consolations  towards  us.  Preserve  us  all  in  the 
true  faith,  in  unconditional  union  with  the  one,  holy,  cath¬ 
olic  Church,  with  its  lawful  head  and  supreme  pastor, 
with  its  bishops  and  priests.  Obtain  that  these  severe 
trials  may  become  conducive  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
salvation  of  souls.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE  CLOSING  YEARS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  THE  BLESSED 

VIRGIN. 

MARY  AND  JOHN. 

REGARDING  the  latter  years  of  our  blessed  Lady’s 
life  on  earth,  and  as  well  as  regarding  her  departure 
from  the  world,  the  Holy  Scriptures  maintain  a  strict 
silence.  Hence  we  must  depend  entirely  on  historical 
tradition. 

After  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  apostles  went 
forth  into  all  the  world  to  teach  all  nations,  as  their  divine 
Master  had  ordered  them  to  do.  Mary,  however,  remained 
temporarily  in  Jerusalem  at  the  house  of  St.  John  the 
Evangelist.  Prayer  and  other  works  of  piety  constituted 
her  favorite  and  almost  exclusive  occupation.  The  more 
the  Church  was  extended,  the  greater  was  the  increase  in 
the  crowds  of  pilgrims  who  as  pious  believers  found  it  a 
pleasure  and  made  it  a  duty  to  come  to  Jerusalem  to 
visit  the  Mother  of  the  Redeemer  and  to  do  her  honor. 
Her  very  presence  was  so  sweetly  engaging  and  im¬ 
pressive,  that  even  hardened  sinners  could  not  resist  her 
silent  appeal  for  their  conversion.  The  words  of  consola- 


339 


The  Closing  Years  in  the  Life  of  Mary . 

tion  uttered  gently  and  affectionately  by  her  pure  lips, 
softened  every  asperity,  allayed  every  evil  passion,  and 
inflamed  the  hearts  of  all  with  charity  and  a  love  of  self- 
sacrifice.  The  apostles  and  evangelists  in  every  doubt 
and  perplexity  had  recourse  to  her,  and  the  highly  il¬ 
lumined  Virgin  imparted  the  wisest  of  counsel  and  the 
soundest  of  instruction.  She  was  filled  with  a  mother’s 
love  and  a  mother’s  solicitude  for  the  whole  Church  and 
for  each  individual  member ;  so  that  all  persons  in  those 
years  found  in  her  all  the  help  they  needed.  By  this 
means,  but  more  especially  by  her  prayers,  was  she  a  great 
pillar  in  the  early  Church.  Yet  she  was  but  seldom  seen 
out,  except  in  the  gatherings  of  the  faithful  at  divine 
service.  Her  favorite,  indeed  her  only,  walk  was  along 
the  way  of  the  cross  as  traversed  by  her  Son  when  going 
from  Jerusalem  to  Mount  Calvary.  In  company  with  St. 
John,  or  perhaps  some  few  pious  women  she  would  walk 
along  slowly,  praying  and  meditating,  and  fondly  recall¬ 
ing  each  painful  incident  and  gazing  intently  on  every 
spot  of  the  road  that  had  been  tinged  with  the  precious 
blood  of  her  divine  Son.  To  her,  as  well  as  to  many 
others  of  the  early  Church,  these  places  were  objects  of 
deep  veneration,  well  calculated  to  awaken  in  the  minds  of 
all  sentiments  of  deep  love  and  profound  gratitude  for  an 
all-merciful  and  compassionate  God.  When  she  would 
reach  the  heights  of  Calvary  and  call  to  mind  the  sad 
and  dreary  hours  she  had  passed  in  that  gloomy  spot  on 
Good  Friday,  under  the  cross,  and  the  words  of  her  dying 
Son  and  Saviour,  she  would  renew  in  spirit  her  noble 
sacrifice  and  awaken  once  more  all  her  feelings  of  motherly 
love  to  Jesus  and  of  child-like  gratitude  to  God  the  Father. 
Daily  she  received,  with  ardent  longings  and  the  most 
intense  love  the  Sacrament  of  the  Holy  Eucharist.  What 
indescribable  happiness  she  experienced  in  this  intimate 
and  actual  union  with  her  Son !  What  an  overflow  of 


340  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  Jrom  Earth. 

consolation  was  then  imparted  to  her,  what  a  super* 
abundance  of  graces  was  given  to  the  Church  on  these 
occasions ! 

MARY  IN  EPHESUS. 

Many  reliable  writers  of  early  Christianity  inform  us 
that  the  blessed  Mother  of  God  dwelt  for  a  considerable 
time  in  Ephesus,  a  city  in  Asia  Minor,  where  her  adopted 
son  and  protector,  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  was  made 
bishop.  We  accept  this  opinion  of  writers  whose  author¬ 
ity  and  credibility  deserve  our  attention.  It  is  certain 
that  the  Christian  congregation  of  that  place  ever  cher¬ 
ished,  for  centuries  after  her  death,  a  special  reverence 
and  affection  for  her,  as  if  she  had  been,  besides  the 
Mother  of  God,  a  beloved  friend  and  respected  neighbor. 
In  her  honor  the  people  of  Ephesus  built  a  sumptuous 
church,  which  was  indeed  “  the  first  church  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  in  all  Christendom.”  It  was  moreover  a  striking 
interposition  of  Providence  that,  four  centuries  later,  in 
the  year  431,  her  dignity  and  title  as  Mother  of  God  were 
solemnly  vindicated  in  a  general  council  of  the  Church, 
held  in  this  same  city  of  Ephesus,  where  she  had  dwelt 
with  her  divine  Son’s  “beloved  disciple.”  But  it  may  be 
asked  what  could  have  dissolved  the  sacred  ties  that 
bound  her  to  the  city  of  Jerusalem  ?  Probably  the  early 
breaking  out  of  the  cruel  persecutions  against  those  who 
belonged  to  the  Church,  together  with  the  urgent  persua¬ 
sions  of  St.  John  and  the  other  apostles  who  besought  her 
not  to  imperil  her  life,  which  was  so  necessary  and  so  dear 
to  the  young  and  struggling  Church.  Perhaps,  too,  the 
same  enemies  who  had  taken  the  life  of  her  beloved  Son 
sought  with  no  less  cruelty  to  take  the  precious  life  of 
His  Mother.  How  annoying  and  fatiguing  must  have 
been  a  journey  so  long  and  so  dangerous  for  the  venera¬ 
ble  lady !  How  ill  at  ease  and  how  lonely  she  must  have 


Tht  Closifig  Years  in  the  Life  of  Mary.  341 

felt  at  her  advanced  age  in  the  midst  of  strangers  !  How 
vividly  the  journey  reminded  her  of  her  melancholy  flight 
into  Egypt,  how  painfully  suggestive  was  the  strange  city 
of  her  exile  in  the  land  of  the  heathen  !  But  in  Egypt 
her  dear  Child  was  with  her,  and  now  she  felt  that  she 
could  fly  from  the  city  which  reminded  her  so  painfully 
of  all  that  had  been  near  and  dear  to  her  in  her  past  life. 
In  Egypt  she  was  young  and  strong,  now  she  was  bowed 
down  in  years  and  sorrow.  How  often  she  must  have 
cast  a  longing  glance  at  the  ships  that  sailed  within  view 
of  the  coast,  their  prows  pointing  towards  Syria,  and 
which  could  bring  her  to  her  distant  home !  In  Ephesus, 
as  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethania,  her  very  presence  seems  to 
have  brought  forth  blessed  fruits  of  faith  and  piety,  if  the 
flourishing  condition  of  the  congregations  in  those  parts, 
as  portrayed  by  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistles  to  these  same 
people,  is  to  be  ascribed  to  her  prayers,  her  example,  and 
her  teachings. 


YEARNING  FOR  HOME. 

Her  sojourn  in  a  foreign  land  begat  in  her  soul  not 
only  a  longing  for  her  earthly  home  in  Judea,  but  also 
much  more  for  her  heavenly  fatherland.  Yet  she  wished 
to  see  her  own  country  once  more  before  leaving  this 
world,  unless  the  holy  will  of  God  should  decree  other¬ 
wise.  Her  heart  throbbed  with  desire  to  see  the  holy 
city  once  more,  to  pay  another  visit  to  the  sacred  places, 
to  stand  once  again  in  the  shadow  of  the  holy  cross  on 
Mount  Calvary. 

This  wish  of  the  blessed  Mother  St.  John  regarded  in 
the  light  of  a  command,  and  took  upon  himself  the  fond 
duty  of  caring  for  her  life  on  the  billows  of  the  deep. 
But  how  could  there  be  danger  of  shipwreck,  when  this 
u gentle  Star  of  the  sea  ”  so  calmly  and  brightly  shed  her 


342  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

light  across  the  surface  of  the  ocean  ?  After  a  rough  and 
tedious  voyage,  whose  asperities  were  softened  only  by 
the  prospect  of  speedily  reaching  the  home  of  her  youth, 
the  holy  pilgrims  arrived  in  Jerusalem.  What  a  hap¬ 
piness  for  the  Christians  dwelling  in  that  city !  How 
consoling  for  St.  James,  its  apostolic  bishop  ! 

LIVING  WITH  CHRIST. 

How  long  the  Blessed  Mother  lived  afterwards  in  Jeru¬ 
salem  is  not  quite  certain.  But  at  all  times  and  in  every 
circumstance,  in  Jerusalem  as  well  as  in  Ephesus,  her  life 
was  hid  with  God  in  Christ,  as  St.  Paul  expresses  it  in 
the  third  verse  of  the  third  chapter  of  Colossians.  Glow¬ 
ing  with  ardent  love  for  Him,  her  heart  was  with  Him 
day  and  night.  Carried  away  by  this  holy  love,  this 
sacred  yearning,  she  daily  traversed  the  way  of  the  cross. 
Each  scene  of  Jesus’  suffering  rose  up  before  the  eyes  of 
her  pious  soul,  and  again  she  united  herself  to  Him  in 
His  every  sigh,  His  every  pain,  His  very  death.  Coming 
to  Mount  Calvary,  she  would  rest  at  the  foot  of  the  cross, 
and  with  a  mother’s  affection  look  mournfully  towards 
God’s  beloved  city,  thinking  of  the  dreadful  doom  that 
was  soon  to  overtake  and  overwhelm  it.  None  other 
among  the  saints  possessed  in  so  eminent  a  degree  the 
gift  of  intuitive  prayer,  or  foresaw  so  clearly  and  certainly 
the  heavenly  mysteries,  as  did  the  Blessed  Virgin.  But 
who  is  competent  to  express  the  miraculous  and  rapturous 
ecstasies  to  which  she  was  exalted  in  this  union  with  her 
beloved  Son  ?  If  even  St.  Paul  was  carried  up  to  the 
third  heavens,  and  there  heard  secret  words,  which  it  is 
not  granted  to  man  to  utter  (2  Cor.  xii.  3,  4),  how  much 
more  closely  to  the  throne  of  her  divine  Son  may  the 
holy  Mother  have  approached  in  spirit !  If  it  was  per¬ 
mitted  to  St.  Stephen  to  witness  the  heavens  open,  and 


The  Closing  Years  in  the  Life  of  Mary.  343 

see  the  Son  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  the  eternal  Father, 
shall  this  same  heaven  be  closed  to  the  vision  of  its  future 
Queen  ? 

Still,  Christian  reader,  too  sublime  and  dazzling  is  the 
glory  of  her  majesty,  the  beauty  of  her  virtues,  and  the 
depth  of  her  mysteries,  for  any  mortal  to  pretend  to 
depict,  worthily  and  truthfully,  the  inner  grace-life  of  the 
Mother  of  God.  Let  us  rather  humble  ourselves  at  the 
feet  of  our  beloved  Queen,  acknowledging  to  her  that  we 
have  not  intellect  sufficient,  nor  appreciation  enough  for 
such  greatness ;  that  we  know  only  our  own  lowliness  and 
poverty ;  that  we  therefore  rejoice  the  more  at  her  sanc¬ 
tity  and  her  merits,  that  we  stand  in  need  of  both,  and 
therefore  beg  her  to  grant  us  with  motherly  generosity  a 
share  in  her  privileges. 

Although  the  whole  life  of  the  immaculate  Virgin  on 
earth  was  one  continued  preparation  for  death,  yet  she 
prepared  herself  in  a  still  more  special  manner  during  the 
latter  years  of  her  life  for  her  entrance  into  life  eternal. 
Do  not  imagine,  Christian  reader,  that  in  regard  to  the 
life  to  come  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  as  certain  as  her 
great  merits  would  justify  her  in  being.  No,  her  deep 
humility  would  not  allow  her  to  base  her  hopes  of  future 
happiness  on  herself,  but  altogether  on  the  mercies  of 
God.  Nothing  but  a  reliance  on  God’s  mercy  could  ever 
have  sustained  her  hope  of  salvation,  when  she  remem¬ 
bered  the  great  responsibility  that  rested  on  her  in  con¬ 
sideration  of  her  many  graces  and  her  dignity. 

How  much  more  then,  Christian  reader,  does  it  become 
your  duty,  frequently  and  seriously  to  meditate  on  death, 
and  on  the  eternity  that  is  sure  to  follow  death.  Alas, 
how  carelessly,  how  thoughtlessly,  men  rush  headlong 
towards  eternity !  How,  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  death 
comes  on  unawares  and  finds  them  unprepared.  Mortal 
man,  in  whatever  period  of  life  you  may  be  at  present, 


344  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

write  deeply  in  your  heart  the  words  of  St.  Augustine  : 
“All  men  know  that  the  day  of  death  will  come.  Yet 
most  men,  if  not  all,  seek  to  forget  it.  The  last  day  is 
concealed  from  us,  in  order  that  we  may  utilize  all  days 
to  advantage.  It  is  too  risky,  therefore,  for  a  man  to 
look  about  him  for  means  of  salvation  when  the  danger 
of  death  is  imminent.  Hence  every  Christian  must 
watch  lest  the  coming  of  the  Lord  should  surprise  him 
unawares.” 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  FALLS  ASLEEP  IN  THE  LORD. 

THE  incessant  yearnings  of  the  Mother  of  God  for  a 
speedy  dissolution  and  an  early  reunion  with  her 
beloved  Son  resembled,  during  the  present  lonely  period 
of  her  existence,  the  ardent  longings  she  entertained  in 
her  early  life  for  the  coming  of  the  long-promised  Messias. 
What  was  there  now  to  detain  her  in  this  world  ?  With 
feelings  of  the  deepest  satisfaction  she  had  seen  the 
Church  founded  by  Jesus  Christ  take  deep  root  in  every 
portion  of  the  great  Roman  Empire,  growing  up  vigor¬ 
ously  and  shedding  the  sweet  and  wholesome  fragrance 
of  its  heavenly  influence  far  and  wide.  Having  seen  the 
dearest  object  of  her  heart  secured  for  all  time,  she  often 
sighed  from  the  bottom  of  her  heart  with  David,  her 
royal  ancestor :  “  Wo  is  me  that  my  sojourning  is  pro¬ 
longed,  my  soul  hath  been  long  a  sojourner.”  (Ps.  cxix. 
5.)  Yet  she  never  failed  to  submit  her  own  will  to 
the  loving  disposal  of  Divine  Providence.  The  fire  of 
charity  which  burned  within  her  soul  sought  to  force  its 
way  through  the  bodily  prison  in  which  it  was  confined. 
Hence  it  was  not  age  or  sickness  so  much  as  intense  de- 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Falls  Asleep  in  the  Lord.  345 

sire  that  gradually  led  the  Mother  of  fair  love  towards  her 
approaching  death. 

THE  PILGRIMAGE  ENDED. 

It  cannot  be  positively  stated  when  and  where,  or  amid 
what  special  circumstances  the  Blessed  Virgin  at  last  fell 
asleep  in  the  Lord.  However,  we  may  with  all  certainty 
presume  that  the  life  of  the  pure,  immaculate  Virgin,  of 
God’s  chosen  progenitrix,  of  the  happiest  and  yet  saddest 
of  mothers,  was  brought  to  a  close  without  the  usual  pain¬ 
ful  and  sad  circumstances  that  attend  the  death  of  ordinary 
mortals,  but  rather  in  a  gentle  and  easy  manner,  and  in 
keeping  with  her  immunity  from  the  sin  of  Adam.  In 
fact,  we  learn,  from  the  most  reliable  writers  of  early 
Christianity,  that  it  was  an  angel  of  the  Lord  who  in¬ 
formed  her  of  her  approaching  death,  and  that  in  three 
days  she  would  appear  before  the  face  of  her  divine  Son. 
We  need  not  question  this  statement,  knowing,  as  we  do, 
that,  during  her  previous  lifetime,  angels  had  been  fre¬ 
quently  sent  with  messages  to  the  humble  maiden  of 
Nazareth.  Moreover,  many  holy  persons  are  mentioned 
in  Scripture,  who  were  miraculously  notified  of  the  time 
of  their  death.  Certainly  the  Blessed  Virgin  must  have 
replied  to  the  angel’s  message  on  this  occasion,  in  the 
same  words  that  she  used  years  before  :  “  Behold  the 
handmaid  of  the  Lord,  be  it  done  to  me  according  to  thy 
word.” 

We  are  also  reliably  informed  that  just  about  that  time 
the  apostles  had  assembled  together  from  their  remotest 
missions  and  were  staying  in  Jerusalem.  They  all 
gathered  about  the  death-bed  of  the  Mother  who  had 
given  them  their  blessed  Master.  Doubtless  the  Holy 
Ghost,  or  at  least  an  angel  from  heaven,  had  thus  called 
them  together,  that  they  might  be  present  at  this  important 


346  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

event  in  the  history  of  the  primitive  Church,  to  see  their 
beloved  Lady  once  more  before  she  would  leave  them, 
to  receive  her  final  maternal  benediction,  and,  by  wit¬ 
nessing  her  happy  death,  to  inhale  new  ardor  and  courage 
for  their  future  hardships  on  the  mission.* 

They  stood  in  Mary’s  apartment,  with  their  eyes  in¬ 
tently  fixed  on  the  enraptured  and  peaceful  countenance 
of  their  dying  Mother.  Their  united  prayers  were  in¬ 
terrupted  only  by  the  ill-suppressed  lamentations  that 
filled  the  house. 

Interrupting  for  a  few  moments  her  communings  with 
God,  she  raised  her  eyes,  looked  affectionately  at  the 
disciples  of  her  beloved  Son,  thanked  fervently  the  Al¬ 
mighty  God  for  granting  her  this  last  wish  of  her  expiring 
heart,  greeted  them  kindly,  and  with  a  mother’s  solicitude 
advised  and  consoled  them,  and  exhorted  them  to  re¬ 
newed  zeal  in  the  diffusion  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on 
earth. 

The  most  deeply  moved  and  the  most  inconsolable  of 
all  was  her  protector  St.  John.  It  had  been  his  happiness 
to  keep  for  so  many  years  in  his  house  this  holy  Ark  of 
the  New  Covenant.  He  knew  not  how  he  could  live  when 
deprived  of  such  a  treasure.  True,  he  rejoiced  at  the 
happiness  and  glory  awaiting  his  adopted  Mother,  yet 
he  could  not  withhold  his  tears,  nor  suppress  his  sighs.  In 
the  presence  of  all  the  other  disciples  the  dying  Virgin 
gave  testimony  to  the  fidelity  of  her  guardian,  and 
thanked  him  sincerely  for  his  devotion  to  her  peace  and 

*  Should  there  be  in  any  person’s  mind  an  unwillingness  to  at¬ 
tribute  this  gathering  of  the  apostles  to  the  intervention  of  super¬ 
natural  agency,  such  person  may  explain  it  naturally,  if  he  will  recall 
to  mind  that  the  death  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  took  place  soon  after 
the  martyrdom  of  St.  James,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  and  that  there¬ 
fore  the  remaining  apostles  had  come  together  for  the  purpose  of 
electing  his  successor  in  the  episcopal  chair  of  th^t  diocese. 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Falls  Asleep  i?i  the  Lord.  347 

happiness.  Finally,  she  begged  them  all  to  remember 
her  as  their  fond,  devoted  Mother,  and  assured  them  that 
she  would  not  forget  them  when  before  the  throne  of 
God.  So  sublime  and  tender  were  her  words  about  the 
joys  of  heaven,  and  especially  the  beatific  vision  of  God, 
that  all  hearts  glowed  with  love  for  their  Creator,  and 
burned  with  desire  to  be  united  with  Him. 

REST  IN  GOD. 

Her  voice  grew  weaker,  but  it  was  gentler,  softer,  and 
more  of  heaven.  When  she  ceased  to  speak,  she  raised 
her  protecting  hands  to  bless  her  children,  whom  she  was 
now  leaving  orphans.  Then  raising  to  heaven  her  eyes, 
still  bright  and  beautiful  in  death,  she  saw  the  heavens 
open  and  the  Son  of  man  descending  in  a  light,  bright 
cloud.  At  this  sight  her  countenance  became  majestic 
in  its  expression,  her  eyes  beamed  with  interior  senti¬ 
ments  of  motherly  affection,  of  mingled  pride  and 
humility,  and  her  face  glowed  with  color.  She  was  wrapt 
in  an  ecstasy  of  adoration.  While  thus  entranced,  her 
pure  soul,  without  sigh  or  struggle,  was  released  from  its 
bodily  prison  and  winged  its  way  to  its  Creator. 

A  solemn  stillness  ensued.  Wonder  and  admiration 
rather  than  grief  prevailed  in  the  hearts  of  the  specta¬ 
tors.  Mary’s  features  betrayed  no  signs  of  death.  She 
lay  in  placid  dignity  and  calm  repose.  A  sweet  fragrance 
like  that  from  Paradise  pervaded  the  death-chamber. 
Deeply  moved  at  this  solemn  event,  the  apostles  fell  upon 
their  knees  and  amid  tears  and  sighs  intoned  the  chant¬ 
ing  of  the  Psalms,  which  they  continued  far  into  the 
night.  It  is  stated  that  many  sick,  blind,  and  lame  were 
brought  to  the  death-chamber,  and  by  piously  and  believ- 
ingly  touching  the  precious  remains  were  restored  to  the 
full  enjoyment  of  their  health  and  strength. 


348  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

On  the  following  day  a  solemn  funeral  procession  was 
seen  winding  along  the  quiet  Valley  of  Josaphat,  on  its 
way  to  Mount  Olivet.  The  precious  remains  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  wrapped  in  the  appropriate  garments  of 
death,  and  hidden  from  view  by  a  profusion  of  fresh, 
sweet  flowers  brought  by  pious  young  people,  was  carried 
to  its  last  resting-place.  Even  her  very  sepulchre  had 
been  transformed  by  the  pious  women  of  Jerusalem  into  a 
cheerful,  fragrant  grotto  of  flowers.  But  all  earthly  odors 
faded  away  and  were  lost  in  the  heavenly  fragrance 
emitted  from  the  precious  remains,  cold  and  dead  though 
they  were.  The  apostles  themselves  carried  the  sacred 
body,  tenderly  and  lovingly,  to  the  grave.  Amid  solemn 
chant  and  fervent  prayer,  and  the  pious  hope,  on  the  part 
of  all,  that  the  body  from  which  Jesus  had  taken  His 
sacred  humanity  would  not  be  permitted  to  know  the 
corruption  of  the  tomb,  the  sacred  remains  of  our  beloved 
Lady  were  laid  gently  down  on  a  bank  of  roses  within  the 
quiet  precincts  of  the  tomb. 

Three  days  and  as  many  nights  the  apostles  and  crowds 
of  the  faithful  tarried  about  the  sepulchre,  in  alternate 
prayer  and  chanting  of  psalms.  Heavenly  chants  which 
many  of  the  bystanders  heard  resounding  aloft  in  the 
skies  were  taken  as  an  evidence  that  the  precious  remains 
of  Jesus’  Mother  were  guarded  by  legions  of  angels  from 
the  celestial  court. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN’S  GRAVE. 

Christian  reader,  linger  for  a  few  moments  with  the 
angels  and  the  apostles  at  the  grave  of  your  beloved 
Mother.  From  this  solemn  place  cast  a  look  backwards 
over  the  long  and  eventful  life  now  at  last  brought  to  a 
close  by  Mary’s  recent  death.  Could  such  a  life,  enriched 
as  it  was  with  the  precious  stones  of  the  most  brilliant 
virtue,  with  the  rare  jewel  of  complete  self-sacrifice  and 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Falls  Asleep  in  the  Lord.  349 

submission  to  God,  and  with  the  purest  gold  of  the 
brightest  charity — could  such  a  life  have  any  other  end¬ 
ing,  any  crown  less  bright,  than  was  vouchsafed  to  Mary 
in  her  beautiful,  painless  death?  Take  such  precaution, 
mortal  man,  take  such  precaution,  that  the  evening  of 
your  life  may  be  calm,  cloudless,  and  free  from  anxiety. 
Do  not  defer  the  most  important  opportunities  of  both 
your  earthly  and  eternal  existence  to  the  last  uncertain 
hour  of  life.  In  the  first  place,  and  above  all,  remove  all 
doubts,  all  hesitancy,  uneasiness,  and  want  of  order  in 
matters  pertaining  to  conscience.  If  not  on  the  moment, 
attend  to  this  as  soon  as  practicable,  for  delays  are 
dangerous,  often  fatal,  sometimes  begetting  impenitence. 
Besides,  in  the  last  sad,  painful  hours  just  previous  to  the 
Christian’s  death  hell  itself  puts  forth  all  its  strength, 
and  uses  all  its  strategy  to  close  the  lips  against  prayer, 
and  the  heart  against  contrition  and  every  sentiment  of 
piety. 

O  loving  Mother  Mary,  right  heartily  and  sincerely  do 
I  rejoice  at  thy  happy  death,  so  precious  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord.  I  rejoice  that  in  thy  death  thou  didst  realize 
the  life-long  wish  of  thy  aching  heart,  for  in  thy  death  a 
crown  was  set  upon  thy  life  so  rich  in  virtue  and  sacrifice. 
I  rejoice,  for  in  thy  death  and  through  thy  death  thou 
didst  secure  the  possession  of  thy  God,  and  of  the  throne 
prepared  for  thee  in  heaven  by  the  side  of  thy  glorious 
Son  Jesus  Christ.  I  also  rejoice,  O  kindest  of  mothers ! 
that  in  thy  departure  out  of  this  world  thou  wast  placed 
in  the  position  and  glory  of  heaven’s  Queen,  in  order  to 
use  this  power  and  glory  for  the  benefit  of  thy  weak, 
abandoned  children  of  earth.  O  mighty  Virgin,  obtain 
for  us,  by  virtue  of  thy  glorious  death,  a  similar  happy 
and  peaceful  death-hour.  Stand  by  my  death-bed,  as  thy 
divine  Son,  the  holy  angels,  and  the  blessed  apostles  sur¬ 
rounded  thine.  O  pray  for  us,  poor  sinners,  now  and  at 
he  hour  of  our  death  1  Amen. 


35° 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth „ 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  IS  ASSUMED  INTO  HEAVEN. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Holy  Scriptures  do  not  mention  it, 
although  the  holy  Church  has  not  yet  raised  it  to  an 
article  of  faith,  and  although  we  are  not  in  possession  of 
detailed  satisfactory  evidence  as  to  the  miraculous  man¬ 
ner  in  which  the  assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  was 
accomplished,  yet  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  but  that,  not 
only  the  pure  soul  of  the  blessed  Mother  of  God  was  ad¬ 
mitted  into  heaven,  but  also  her  immaculate  body;  for  it 
had  been  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Most  High,  and  the 
sacred  Ark  of  the  Covenant  in  the  New  Law.  To  a  be¬ 
lieving  soul  it  is  sufficient  to  know  that  this  really  took 
place,  although  Divine  Providence  has  not  been  pleased 
to  clearly  enlighten  us  on  this  point,  nor,  indeed,  on  many 
others.  In  the  first  place,  I  shall  relate  to  you,  Christian 
reader,  what  the  earliest  Christian  writers  have  left  in 
their  writings  concerning  the  glorious  mystery  of  the 
Assumption.  Then  I  shall  furnish  you  with  the  reasons 
why  we  may  believe  unconditionally  this  mystery ;  nay, 
must  believe  it,  although  no  direct  decision  of  the  holy 
Church  obliges  us  to  do  so. 

THE  EMPTY  TOMB. 

After  the  solemn  and  touching  ceremony  of  laying  the 
virginal  body  of  our  blessed  Lady  in  the  tomb,  the 
apostles  and  other  believers,  as  already  stated,  remained 
at  the  grave  for  three  days.  What  kept  them  there  ? 
Their  great  love  and  profound  respect  for  the  Mother  of 
Jesus  would  not  permit  them  to  think  for  a  moment  in 


The  Blessed  Virgin  is  Assumed  i?ito  Heaven.  351 

their  hearts  that  this  immaculate  tabernacle  of  the  Re¬ 
deemer  would  be  given  over  to  corruption.  They  remem¬ 
bered  vividly  and  joyfully  the  glorious  resurrection  of 
their  divine  Master  on  the  third  day.  An  interior  voice, 
perhaps  even  a  special  revelation,  informed  them  that 
Christ,  who  had  Himself  arisen,  would  be  pleased  to 
awake  His  highly  favored  beloved  Mother  also  from  the 
sleep  of  death.  Deeply  impressed  with  this  conviction, 
they  opened  the  grave  on  the  third  day.  Or,  if  we 
choose,  we  may  safely  adopt  another  opinion  given  and 
held  by  many  learned  and  pious  writers.  These  teach 
that  one  of  the  apostles,  having  arrived  in  Jerusalem  too 
late  to  see  the  remains  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  was  over¬ 
powered  with  grief  and  disappointment.  He  begged  that 
the  stone  enclosing  the  tomb  might  be  removed  just  once 
more,  to  enable  him  to  gaze  for  the  last  time  on  the  be¬ 
loved  countenance  of  their  departed  guide  and  Mother. 
In  expectation  of  this  happy  privilege,  he  had  travelled 
incessantly,  night  and  day,  from  his  remote  mission. 
Moved  at  his  deep  piety  and  earnest  pleadings,  the  other 
apostles  granted  his  wish. 

In  anxious  expectation,  and  wavering  between  hope 
and  fear,  they  lifted  away  the  heavy  stone.  A  sweet  fra¬ 
grance  immediately  came  forth  from  the  grave.  A  super¬ 
natural  brightness  arose  and  enveloped  all  present.  The 
flowers  that  had  surrounded  the  body  revived  and  again 
assumed  their  most  beautiful  colors.  But  the  fairest  and 
brightest  flower,  the  sacred  remains  of  the  Mother  of 
Jesus,  was  not  there.  A  cry  of  astonishment  and  joy  fell 
from  the  lips  of  all :  “  She  is  risen,  she  is  not  here !  ” 
Yes,  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  arisen  from  death,  and  with 
body  and  soul  had  been  conducted  into  heaven.  Such 
was  the  firm  belief  of  the  wondering  apostles  and  their 
fellow-watchers.  It  would  be  absurd  to  suppose  that 
robbers  could  have  rifled  the  grave  and  carried  away  the 


352  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth 

body ;  for  the  whole  gathering  of  apostles  and  other 
friends  had  been  continually  on  guard.  Hymns  of  joy 
and  exultation  were  now  sung  in  honor  of  the  glorified 
Queen  of  heaven.  As  the  happy  news  spread  far  and 
wide,  new  courage  and  lively  faith  were  awakened  in  the 
souls  of  all  believers.  Here  the  almighty  God  had  plainly 
given  incontestible  evidence  that  He  was  near  His  holy 
and  beloved  Church,  with  His  protection  and  grace,  and 
ready  and  willing  to  reward  the  love,  fidelity,  and  sacrifice 
of  His  friends. 

PROOFS  OF  THE  ASSUMPTION. 

From  the  days  of  the  apostles  down  to  our  own  time 
it  has  been  the  unbroken  universal  belief  of  the  whole 
Catholic  world  that  the  blessed  Mother  of  God  has  been 
admitted  to  the  presence  of  God,  not  alone  in  soul,  but 
also  with  her  pure  and  now  glorified  body.  But,  Chris¬ 
tian  reader,  although  you  believe  firmly  and  joyfully  this 
miraculous  assumption  of  your  blessed  Lady,  yet  it  may 
not  be  superfluous,  for  a  still  better  understanding  of  the 
mystery,  for  an  increased  faith  in  it,  and  perhaps  as  a 
help  to  defend  it,  to  give  the  grounds  on  which  this 
Catholic  conviction  is  based.  Briefly,  then,  I  would  lay 
before  you,  for  your  study  and  meditation,  the  following 
eight  points  : 

(a)  The  festival  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Vir¬ 
gin  was  evidently  observed  even  in  the  very  earliest  years 
of  Christianity  as  a  joyful  feast  commemorative  of  this 
miraculous  event.  Many  learned  writers  have  made  good 
attempts  to  prove  that  the  feast  was  established  by  the 
apostles  and  celebrated  in  their  time.  It  is  certain  that 
during  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Constantine  the  Great, 
who  died  May  22,  337,  this  festival  used  to  be  celebrated 
in  the  East  with  great  devotion  and  pomp.  In  the 


The  Blessed  Virgin  is  Assumed  into  Heaven.  353 

Western  Church,  it  has  been  a  festival  of  the  first  class 
ever  since  the  sixth  century.  Even  from  the  very  prayers 
used  in  the  Mass  and  divine  office  on  this  day,  it  is  clear 
that  the  Church  commemorates  the  translation  from  earth 
to  heaven,  not  only  of  the  soul  of  our  blessed  Lady,  but 
also  of  her  sacred  body. 

( b )  As  early  as  the  year  451,  Marcian,  the  Emperor  of 
the  Eastern  Empire,  summoned  Bishop  Juvenalis  to  the 
court  at  Constantinople  in  order  to  get  his  opinion  on 
this  question  ;  namely,  whether  the  body  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  was  still  in  the  grave  at  Jerusalem  or  not.  The 
Emperor’s  intention  was,  if  the  body  were  to  be  found,  to 
have  it  translated  to  the  church  recently  erected  in  his 
capital  by  the  Empress  Pulcheria,  and  which  was  to  be 
dedicated  to  God  under  the  invocation  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  Bishop  Juvenalis  stated  the  tradition  universally 
admitted  in  Palestine,  namely,  that  the  body  as  well  as 
the  soul  of  the  Blessed  Mother  of  God  had  been  trans¬ 
lated  by  angels  into  heaven.  (Niceph.  Hist.  Book  II.) 
In  fact,  at  no  period  in  Christian  history  has  any  one 
claimed  to  have  seen  any  relic  from  the  sacred  person  of 
Mary.  Even  in  the  Greek  Church,  where  the  authorities 
have  always  been  extremely  careful  to  discover,  preserve, 
and  expose  to  public  veneration  every  relic  deserving 
such  honors,  not  a  word  has  ever  been  said  of  any  relics 
of  these  sacred  remains. 

( c )  In  the  Western  Church,  the  holy  bishop,  St. 
Gregory  of  Tours,  also  gives  testimony  in  his  writings, 
published  about  the  year  550,  of  the  assumption  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  Not  many  years  later  one  of  the  most 
saintly  of  Popes  and  renowned  of  Church  writers  men¬ 
tions  the  universal  belief  in  this  mystery.  Pope  Gregory 
the  Great,  who  died  on  the  12th  of  March,  604,  composed 
for  the  Mass  celebrated  in  honor  of  the  Assumption  the 
following  prayer  :  “We  beseech  thee,  O  Lord,  that  we 

23 


354  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

may  obtain  real  assistance,  through  the  solemn  celebra¬ 
tion  of  this  day  on  which  the  Mother  of  God  died  indeed 
a  corporeal  death,  but  could  not  be  detained  in  the  bonds 
of  death.57 

( d )  The  Greek  Church  considers  this  general  belief  so 
well  founded,  that  in  a  council  held  in  Armenia  in  the 
year  1342,  the  assembled  members  issued  the  following 
declaration:  aLet  everyone  know  and  understand  the 
Church  of  Armenia  holds  and  teaches  that  the  holy 
Mother  of  God,  by  the  power  and  virtue  of  Jesus  Christ, 
wras  translated  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  both  body 
and  soul.55  Again  this  same  Eastern  Church,  when  re¬ 
pelling  the  calumnies  which  the  so-called  Reformers, 
Luther  and  Calvin  and  their  followers,  uttered  against 
the  Mother  of  God,  declared  in  a  council  held  in  Jeru¬ 
salem  in  the  year  1672  :  “It  is  beyond  all  doubt  that  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary  is  not  only  a  great  and  miraculous 
sign  on  earth,  because  although  she  brought  forth  God 
in  the  flesh  and  yet  remained  a  virgin,  but  she  is  also  a 
great  and  miraculous  sign  in  heaven,  because  she  was 
translated  thither  body  and  soul :  for  although  her  im¬ 
maculate  body  was  enclosed  in  the  tomb,  yet,  like  the 
body  of  Our  Lord,  after  three  days  it  was  released  and 
admitted  to  heaven.55 

( e )  Death  is  the  wages  of  sin.  As  God  had  wrought 
the  greater  miracle  of  preserving  Mary  from  every  stain 
of  even  original  sin,  it  was  eminently  becoming  that  He 
should  not  omit  a  lesser  miracle,  and  one  expected  from 
His  justice,  namely,  to  avert  from  Mary  the  wages  of  sin, 
death  in  its  destructive  form. 

(/)  This  precious  body  was  the  miraculous  source  in 
which  the  body  of  Christ,  the  Victor  over  death,  the  grave, 
and  corruption,  was  itself  formed.  How  then  could  this 
virginal  flesh  fall  a  prey  to  death  and  corruption  ? 

(g)  As  Mary  had  given  her  virginal  body  to  the  King 


‘ The  Blessed  Virgin  is  Assumed  into  Heaven.  355 

of  glory  to  be  His  dwelling-place,  it  is  right  and  proper 
that  this  same  Lord  should  give  His  kingdom  of  eternal 
glory  to  be  her  resting-place.  St.  Bernard  thus  beauti¬ 
fully  expresses  this  sentiment:  “  When  the  Lord  came  into 
this  world,  Mary  received  Him  in  the  noblest  dwelling  on 
earth,  in  the  temple  of  her  chaste  womb.  Therefore,  on 
this  day  has  the  Lord  exalted  her  to  an  honorable  throne 
in  His  heavenly  kingdom.”  What  human  imagination 
can  picture  to  itself  the  splendor  with  which  our  glorious 
Queen  was  carried  up  to  heaven,  the  reverence  and  love 
with  which  the  heavenly  hosts  met  and  greeted  her,  the 
songs  of  triumph  amid  which  she  was  conducted  to  the 
presence  of  her  divine  Son,  the  affection  with  which  He 
received  her,  and  placed  her  above  all  other  creatures. 

(h)  If  it  be  objected  that  it  is  altogether  new  and  un¬ 
heard  of  for  any  member  of  the  human  family  to  be  trans¬ 
lated  in  body  from  this  life  on  earth  to  heaven  before 
the  general  resurrection  of  the  flesh  on  the  last  day,  we 
should  recall  to  mind  the  case  of  the  patriarch  Enoch, 
who,  according  to  the  clear  and  undoubted  testimony  of 
Holy  Scripture,  was  carried  in  body  by  the  power  of  God 
from  earth  to  heaven.  Moreover,  the  prophet  Elias  was 
borne  to  heaven  in  a  fiery  chariot  drawn  by  fiery  horses. 

These  evidences  and  many  others  which  might  be  ad¬ 
duced,  and  which  may  be  found  in  Brennan-Businger’s 
“  Life  of  Christ,”  are  sufficient  to  give  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  bodily  assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  a  solidity 
and  a  certainty  that  cannot  be  given  to  any  other  fact  in 
ancient  history. 

For  this  reason  the  renowned  Pope  Benedict  XIV. 
has  declared  it  godless,  unintelligible,  absurd,  and  foolish, 
to  doubt  this  consoling,  well-grounded  doctrine.  The 
Holy  See  abstains  from  defining  the  Assumption  to  be 
an  article  of  faith.  Happily  it  needs  no  formal  declara¬ 
tion  ;  for  all  Catholics  believe  it  firmly  and  willingly. 


The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth . 


Christ’s  ascension  and  mary’s  assumption. 

There  is,  however,  an  essential  difference  existing  be¬ 
tween  the  triumphant  ascension  of  Our  Lord  and  the 
assumption  of  His  blessed  Mother.  This  difference  is 
well  described  by  St.  Peter  Damian,  a  renowned  doctor 
of  the  Church.  He  says  :  “  With  the  eyes  of  thy  soul 
observe  the  Son  ascending  and  the  Mother  carried.  Thou 
wilt  discover  a  manifestation  of  glory  in  the  ascent  of  the 
Son,  and  the  same  in  that  of  the  Mother.  For  the  Re¬ 
deemer  ascends  to  heaven  in  the  power  and  dominion  of 
His  strength,  as  Lord  and  Creator,  surrounded  by  the 
homage  of  the  angels,  but  not  aided  by  any  help  from 
them.  But  Mary  is  carried  to  heaven,  and  as  a  sign  of 
her  supereminent  grace,  under  the  escort  and  with  the 
help  of  the  angels,  for  it  is  grace  and  not  nature  that 
elevates  her.  Hence  this  day  is  termed  Assumption, 
while  Our  Lord’s  day  is  styled  Ascension.  For  power 
is  something  different  from  mercy,  and  to  the  Creator 
alone  belongs  the  right  to  transcend  by  His  own  inherent 
power  the  forces  of  a  nature  created  by  His  own  hands. 
The  entire  glorious  company  of  the  heavenly  spirits 
came  forth  to  meet  the  ascending  Saviour.  With  them 
were  united  the  hosts  of  the  souls  of  the  just,  whom  Jesus 
was  leading,  and  thus  conducted  by  both  in  triumph  to 
the  Father,  He  sits  in  equal  glory  at  the  right  hand  of 
Majesty.  The  triumphal  procession  that  came  to  meet 
the  approaching  Virgin  is  far  more  splendid  and  glorious. 
For  as  she  was  entering  the  palace  of  heaven,  the  Son 
Himself  came  forward,  with  the  whole  heavenly  court  of 
angels  and  just  souls.”  ( Sermon  on  the  Assumption?) 

Now  is  fulfilled  completely  the  prophecy  of  the  timid 
Virgin  of  Nazareth,  which  many  years  before  she  had 
pronounced  in  holy  youthful  enthusiasm  :  “  Behold  from 
henceforth,  all  nations  shall  call  me  blessed ;  for  He  that 


The  Crownmg  of  Mary  in  Heaven. 


357 


is  mighty  hath  done  great  things  to  me.  He  hath  put 
down  the  mighty  from  their  seat  and  hath  exalted  the 
humble.”  (Luke  i.  49.) 

I,  too,  praise  thee  and  call  thee  blessed,  O  glorious 
Queen  of  heaven.  I,  too,  rejoice  that  thou  hast  been 
raised  to  a  throne  of  everlasting  glory.  O  that  it  may  be 
permitted  to  me  one  day  to  see  thee  there,  face  to  face, 
to  glorify  thee,  and  with  all  the  angels  and  saints  to  love 
thee  forever  and  ever.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

THE  CROWNING  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  IN 

HEAVEN. 

HITHERTO,  Christian  reader,  we  have  studied  the 
life  of  our  blessed  Lady  on  earth  only.  Now  that 
she  has  disappeared  from  our  earthly  sight  and  entered 
into  life  eternal,  and  sits  enthroned  in  light,  dazzling  to 
mortal  eyes,  how  can  you  ask  me,  Christian  reader,  to 
describe  her  solemn  entrance  into  the  mansions  of  the 
blessed,  her  life  of  happiness  in  the  presence  of  God, 
or  her  career  of  intercession  and  protection  for  her 
children  on  earth !  Ask  me  not  to  do  an  impossibility. 
If  no  eye  hath  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  if  it  hath  not  entered 
into  the  heart  of  man  to  know,  all  that  God  hath  prepared 
for  the  redeemed  souls  of  ordinary  men  who  have  loved 
Him  in  this  life,  how  can  human  language  express  the 
outward  glory  or  the  interior  joy  of  Mary’s  soul  in 
heaven  ?  My  feeble  pen  may  write  but  a  few  feebler 
words  on  this  sublime  subject. 


35»  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth . 

THE  TRIUMPHANT  ENTRANCE. 

A  joy  greater  than  can  be  conceived  by  the  mind  oi 
man  fills  all  the  holy  spirits  when  any  soul,  after  having 
escaped  from  earth,  sin,  and  eternal  perdition,  enters  into 
the  joy  of  the  Lord.  What  joy  then  must  have  reigned 
among  these  pure  spirits,  when  the  holy,  precious,  and 
beautiful  soul  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  met  their  view  !  Nay, 
even  the  body  enclosing  this  fair  soul  was  glorified  in  bright¬ 
est  beauty  and  loveliness — a  new  wonder-work  of  the  al¬ 
mighty  power  of  God.  And  this  latest  guest  of  heaven  is 
now  and  will  be  for  all  eternity  their  mistress  and  queen. 
This  new  accession  is  the  Mother  of  their  God,  whom  it 
is  their  pleasure  to  contemplate  and  adore.  And  what 
joy  and  happiness  for  the  Blessed  Virgin  herself  to  see 
these  countless  hosts  of  angels,- and  to  admire  their  purity 
and  interior  fervent  love  for  God  !  What  a  change  from 
the  past !  What  a  contrast !  On  earth,  she  had  lived 
surrounded  by  unbelief,  indifference,  and  sin.  Here  she 
is  encompassed  by  millions  of  sinless  beings,  whose  every 
faculty,  but  more  chiefly  love,  is  directed  to  God.  Yet 
as  the  feeble  though  beautiful  light  of  the  stars  fades 
away  before  the  bright  effulgence  of  the  coming  sun,  so 
does  the  otherwise  dazzling  brilliancy  of  the  angels  pale 
before  the  glory  and  majesty  of  the  Son  of  God  and  of 
Mary,  when  He  comes  to  meet  His  Mother.  Oh,  what  a 
meeting  !  What  a  happy  reunion  !  What  an  inestimable 
compensation  for  their  separations  on  earth,  for  their 
meeting  on  the  way  to  Calvary.  Overpowered  with  joy, 
reverence,  and  maternal  love,  the  Blessed  Virgin  may  have 
sunk  upon  her  knees  and  exclaimed  :  “  My  Lord  and  my 
God  and  my  Son  !  ”  But  Jesus  lifted  her  up  gently  and, 
with  a  child’s  tenderness,  allowed  her  to  repose  on  His 
divine  heart.  What  a  sea  of  joy  and  ecstasy  overflowed 
all  when  the  divine  Son  led  His  Mother  to  the  dazzling 


The  Crowning  of  Mary  in  Heaven .  359 

throne  of  the  eternal  Father  ! — when  the  Father  received 
her  and  greeted  her  as  His  most  beloved  daughter ! 
What  joy  to  see  the  Holy  Spirit,  whose  spouse  she  had 
become  on  earth,  and  whose  spouse  she  is  now  to  be  for 
all  eternity!  And  then  the  happy  meeting  with  St.  Joseph, 
with  her  parents,  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anne ! — the  meet¬ 
ing  and  greeting  of  all  those  happy  souls  who  owed  their 
admission  into  heaven  to  the  intercession  of  this  merciful 
Queen  !  O  Christian  reader,  gather  up  and  concentrate 
all  the  forces  of  your  soul,  in  order  to  see  and  comprehend, 
at  least  as  far  as  human  faculties  can  go,  the  heavenly 
joy  attending  this  glorious  entrance  into  heaven,  this 
reunion  of  just  and  holy  souls. 

MARY  IS  CROWNED. 

In  one  of  the  joyful  mysteries  of  our  holy  Rosary  we 
salute  our  blessed  Lady  as  a  Queen  crowned  in  heaven 
by  the  hand  of  God. 

When  the  aged  mother  of  Solomon  appeared  one  day 
at  the  foot  of  his  throne,  that  great  potentate  descended 
from  his  high  place,  advanced  to  meet  his  mother,  bowed 
before  her,  and  then  led  her  by  the  hand  to  a  throne  upon 
his  right.  (3  Kings  ii.  19.) 

It  was  thus  that  an  earthly  king  felt  himself  bound  to 
honor  publicly  a  mother  who  indeed  had  not  been  always 
true  to  her  God,  nor  strictly  faithful  to  the  requirements 
of  honor.  But  when  the  son  is  animated  with  sincere 
gratitude,  is  abounding  in  justice  and  divine  love,  as  was 
the  Son  of  God,  how  will  such  a  son  honor  a  mother  so 
pure,  so  true,  so  self-sacrificing,  so  severely  tried  in  suf¬ 
ferings  as  Mary.  Was  it  not  just  and  proper  that  she 
who  had  shared  the  cross  and  the  crown  of  thorns,  with 
their  disgrace  and  suffering,  should  now  share  His  do¬ 
minion  and  throne  ?  Was  it  not  fair  and  reasonable  that 


360  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth . 

the  immaculate  one,  who  from  among  all  creatures  in 
heaven  and  earth  was  chosen  to  be  the  veritable  Mother 
of  God,  should  now  be  solemnly  recognized  and  enthroned 
in  heaven  as  the  Mother  of  heaven’s  King?  Was  it  not 
becoming  that  she  to  whom  her  divine  Son  when  on  earth 
was  subject  and  obedient,  should  now  in  heaven  have 
share  in  His  dominion,  and  in  the  homage  offered  by  all 
created  beings  ? 

But  this  crown  is  not  a  crown  composed  of  gold  and 
precious  stones.  No,  it  is  formed  out  of  those  rarest  and 
most  precious  graces  and  virtues  which  an  all-merciful 
God  had  vouchsafed  to  the  humble  maiden  of  Nazareth. 
It  consists  in  a  garland  of  faith,  hope,  charity,  fidelity, 
purity,  and  fortitude.  For  it  was  with  such  a  wreath  that 
Mary,  by  faithfully  co-operating  with  divine  grace,  had 
crowned  herself  while  on  earth.  The  brightest  and  most 
valuable  precious  stones  adorning  this  crown  of  honor 
are  child-like  love,  reverence,  and  gratitude,  such  as  the 
Saviour  of  the  world  even  in  heaven  shows  to  His  honored 
Mother,  and  such  as  He  requires  all  children  to  show  to 
their  earthly  parents,  even  when  these  are  little  deserving 
of  the  same. 

Christian  reader,  it  is  within  your  power  to  set  a  jewel 
in  this  crown  of  the  ever-blessed  Queen  of  heaven.  You 
have  but  to  make  frequent  acts  of  veneration  to  her  as 
her  faithful  and  respectful  child,  to  imitate  her  virtues, 
and  out  of  love  for  her  to  preserve  your  purity  and  in¬ 
nocence  of  heart.  Oh  !  what  a  happiness  it  will  be  for  you 
in  the  next  world  if  at  the  sight  of  her  crown  of  honor 
you  can  say  with  truth,  “  I,  too,  have  added  a  ray  to  all 
this  brightness.” 

mary’s  happiness. 

According  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  of 
Holy  Scripture,  there  are,  in  heaven,  different  stages  and 


Ihe  Crowning  of  Mary  in  Heaven.  361 

degrees  of  happiness  and  glory.  It  would  appear  that  a 
higher  degree  of  this  happiness  and  glory  is  made  attain¬ 
able,  according  as  the  capacities  and  activity  of  the 
blessed  are  developed  and  made  more  competent  to 
enjoy  the  heavenly  happiness.  The  intellectual  powers 
are  fitted  to  more  thoroughly  comprehend  the  unfathom¬ 
able  nature  of  God.  The  emotional  faculties  are  fitted 
to  appreciate  and  admire  more  inwardly  the  glory  of  the 
heavenly  mansions,  and  of  their  inhabitants  ;  but  more 
especially  the  glory  of  God  Himself.  The  will  faculty  is 
more  and  more  fitted  and  enabled  to  yield  itself  up  to 
God,  and  to  become  united  with  Him.  From  all  this, 
you  may  conclude,  Christian  reader,  that  the  happiness 
of  the  Mother  of  God  in  heaven  surpasses  all  human 
conception  or  expression.  For  when  she  was  on  earth, 
did  she  not  possess  the  profoundest  knowledge  of  God 
and  of  His  mysteries  ?  Had  she  not  the  sublimest  senti¬ 
ments,  the  most  exalted  conceptions  of  divinity  and  of 
divine  things  ?  Did  she  not  in  the  closest  manner  unite 
her  will  with  the  will  of  God  ?  And  now  her  chief  reward 
and  principal  glory  in  heaven  consist  in  the  augmentation 
and  development  of  these  faculties  of  her  pure  soul.  As 
the  prophets  had  often  foretold,  the  sufferings  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  on  earth  were  deep  and  boundless  as  the 
ocean  (Sam.  ii.  3).  Great  then  as  the  sea,  and  greater 
still  must  her  joy  of  heart  be  in  heaven. 

THE  OCCUPATION  OF  MARY  IN  HEAVEN. 

A  suitable  activity,  either  external  or  internal,  bodily 
or  mental,  is  an  inborn  necessity  of  our  human  nature. 
Even  before  the  Fall  our  first  parents  were  charged  by 
the  Creator  “  to  dress  and  keep  ”  the  garden  of  Paradise. 
(Gen.  ii.  15.)  Now  as  human  nature  is  not  set  aside  nor 
even  essentially  changed  when  admitted  to  heaven,  but 


362  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth. 

rather  exalted  and  ennobled,  the  saints  have  occupations 
suited  to  their  state.  So,  too,  we  can  say  of  our  beloved 
and  victorious  Queen  of  heaven,  that  her  sojourn  in. 
heaven  is  one  of  heavenly  occupations  and  enjoyments. 
She  exercises,  indeed,  a  twofold  activity  ;  one  upward 
towards  God,  the  other  earthward  towards  men.  St. 
John,  who  was  the  adopted  son  of  Mary,  beheld  a  won¬ 
derful  vision  on  the  lonely  island  of  Patmos.  He  saw  the 
Lamb  of  God  on  a  holy  mountain,  “  and  with  Him  a 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  having  His  name,  and 
the  name  of  His  Father,  written  on  their  foreheads.” 
These  were  a  train  of  virgins  who  sang  a  new  canticle  of 
praise  to  the  most  high  God.  (Apoc.  xiv.  1-3.)  And 
who  but  the  Mother  of  God,  should  be  the  Queen  and 
the  crown  of  this  virginal  train  attending  the  immaculate 
Lamb  ?  Adoration,  therefore,  of  the  thrice  holy  Lord, 
reverence  and  admiration  of  His  power  and  majesty  form 
the  first,  sublimest,  and  most  exalting  occupation  of  the 
heavenly  Queen. 

Consider,  in  the  second  place,  Christian  reader,  the  oc¬ 
cupation  which  the  Blessed  Virgin  exercises  in  an  earthly 
direction  in  favor  of  the  souls  of  men  who  are  her  chil¬ 
dren.  There  is  no  soul  existing  on  earth  for  whom  Mary 
does  not  entertain  a  mother’s  solicitude  and  affection. 
How  many  prayers  and  supplications,  how  many  tears 
and  hymns  of  praise,  how  many  sighs  and  lamentations, 
how  many  songs  of  joy  and  of  thanksgiving,  ascend  every 
day  and  hour  to  the  throne  of  grace  on  which  our  power¬ 
ful  Queen  and  Advocate  is  seated  !  To  which  of  these 
supplications  sent  up  from  a  suffering,  struggling  soul  in 
search  of  sanctification,  would  she  turn  a  deaf  ear  ?  Then 
there  are  the  battles  of  the  Church,  its  persecutions,  its 
terrors  from  the  ungodly.  To  listen  to  all  who  need  as¬ 
sistance,  to  carry  their  prayers  before  the  throne  of  her 
divine  Son  ;  such  is  the  occupation  of  our  merciful 


The  Crowning  of  Mary  in  Heaven .  363 

Mother,  as  long  as  there  shall  exist  on  earth  suffering 
but  confiding  children  of  men. 

O  exalted  Queen  of  heaven  !  When  in  spirit  I  see  thee 
on  thy  throne  of  power  and  glory,  at  the  side  of  thy  divine 
Son,  raised  far  above  angels  and  saints,  must  I  be  ap¬ 
palled  and  repelled  by  thy  majesty  ?  Oh,  no,  for  even  in 
thy  most  inconceivable  and  inaccessible  heavenly  glory, 
thou  art  still,  and  will  always  remain,  my  loving,  tender 
Mother. 

How  consoling  then  it  is  for  me  to  know  the  comfort¬ 
ing  doctrine  of  that  devout  client  of  Mary,  St.  Alphonsus 
Liguori.  He  teaches  that  thou,  O  Mary,  notwithstanding 
the  glory  in  which  thou  art  enveloped  cannot  forget  us 
miserable  beings  ;  that  thou  hast  not  lost  sympathy  for 
us,  poor  children  of  Eve,  but  rather  that  thy  compas  ¬ 
sionate  love  for  us  has  been  immeasurably  augmented. 
Oh,  how  these  words  give  new  live  to  my  waning  hope  and 
confidence  !  How  joyfully  and  hopefully  I  now  look  up 
to  heaven,  and  to  heaven’s  Queen  !  to  thee,  O  my  Mother ! 
The  nearer  and  closer  thou  art  brought  to  God,  to  the 
Source  and  Fountain  of  all  salvation,  the  more  competent 
thou  art  to  direct  its  graces,  those  saving  streams  of 
eternal  life.  Now  thou  knowest  better  than  when  thou 
wast  on  earth  our  deep  and  crying  miseries. 

I,  too,  now  throw  myself  before  thy  throne.  In  humil¬ 
ity  and  confidence,  I  deposit  in  thy  maternal  bosom  my 
difficulties,  my  wishes,  and  my  prayers.  Look  down  upon 
me,  O  my  Queen,  mistress,  and  Mother,  look  upon  me 
with  thy  eyes  of  mercy  and  compassion.  Think  ever  of 
me.  Do  not  cease  to  pray  for  me,  to  care  for  me,  till  I 
shall  have  the  happiness  to  see  thee  in  thy  glory,  and  to 
love  thee  forever  and  ever  in  eternity.  Amen. 

O  almighty  and  all-merciful  God  !  Now  that  I  have 
with  a  joyful  heart  considered  the  wonders  of  Thy  wisdom 
and  grace  as  manifested  in  the  selection,  in  the  life,  in  the 


364  The  Blessed  Virgin  Departs  from  Earth . 

sufferings,  in  the  death,  and  in  the  glory  of  the  ever- 
blessed  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  I  humbly  return 
Thee  thanks  for  all  the  graces  which  Thou  hast  been 
pleased,  out  of  love  for  us  sinful  men,  to  grant  to  her.  I 
thank  Thee  for  the  kindness,  condescension,  and  mercy 
with  which  Thou  hast  favored  us  in  giving  us  such  a 
Mother  and  such  an  advocate  before  Thy  throne.  All 
these  indescribable  prerogatives  of  the  blessed  Mother, 
as  well  as  her  own  personal  virtues  and  merits,  I  offer 
to  Thee,  O  God,  as  a  pleasing  and  effective  oblation  of 
atonement  for  my  sins  and  for  those  of  my  fellow-men. 
Oh !  I  implore  Thee,  for  the  sake  of  heaven’s  Queen  full  of 
grace  and  glory,  to  be  merciful  to  us  in  life  and  death. 
Amen. 


DEO  GRATIAS. 


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Books  may  be  kept  for  two  weeks  and  may  be 
renewed  for  the  same  period,  unless  reserved. 

Two  cents  a  day  is  charged  for  each  book  kept 
overtime. 

If  you  cannot  find  what  you  want,  ask  the 
Librarian  who  will  be  glad  to  help  you. 

The  borrower  is  responsible  for  books  drawn 
on  his  card  and  for  all  fines  accruing  on  the 


same. 


